MAY PEN, Clarendon — Former champions Vere Technical High School will seek to extend their best start in decades in the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup football competition when they take a four-game winning run into their Zone N game against Central High at Bushy Park, starting at 3:30 pm today.

One other school, Paul Bogle High, are also seeking to end their first round with a perfect win record when they take on second-placed Seaforth High in Zone O, while eight other schools led by defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) will go after a fourth straight win as the competition continues with 27 games scheduled to be played.

Yesterday Clarendon College went on a scoring spree, hammering Claude McKay High 13-0 in their Zone H game played in Spalding, as they chalked up their third straight win.

Ricardo McIntosh scored five times and Creighton Charlton got four goals as Tremaine Williamson, Raheem Stone, Ronaldo Richardson and Shevon Bryan all got one goal each in the rampage.

Lennon High were, however, held 2-2 by Knox College as their two-game winning start was halted, while Thompson Town beat Edwin Allen High 1-0 to move into second place on goal-difference to Clarendon College, both on nine points.

In Hector’s River, Happy Grove beat Titchfield High 4-1 with Roshane Thomas scoring a hat-trick.

Six zones will reach their half-way stage today while all the others are expected to end by Saturday.

Vere Technical appear to be making a renaissance as after winning all six daCosta Cup titles contested between 1965 and 1971, won their ninth and final title in 1980 and failed to even get past the first round on a consistent basis, but have made it to at least the Inter-zone round the previous three seasons.

So far they have not conceded a single goal in their four games played and take on third-placed Central High, who are six points behind and who they have beaten five times in their last six meetings without conceding a goal.

Games between these two teams over the last four years have rarely produced more than two goals, however, and today’s contest could be another close one.

Two points separate Paul Bogle High and Seaforth High and the teams have combined for three goals in their last four games and the leaders could be pressed for the first time this season by a Seaforth High team that has scored 11 goals and are coming off a 3-1 win over winless St Thomas Technical on Monday.

Defending champions STETHS have scored just three goals in two matches since they hammered Black River High 10-1 in their opening game and face a Lacovia team sitting three points behind and hoping to create space between them and third-placed Munro College.

STETHS could be without Romeo Wright, who was badly injured in their slim 1-0 win over Maggotty High on Saturday, and this will put the burden of scoring on Jovoney Brown, who has scored in all three games played so far.

Former champions Cornwall College and St James High are on course for a massive clash on Saturday and will face Maldon High and Green Pond, respectively, today as they seek to win their fourth straight game.

Cornwall play their third straight game at home and should be better than winless Maldon, while Green Pond will fancy their chances against a St James High team that have yet to concede a goal.

If Manchester High are to get their fourth win, it will be without starting goalkeeper Jabulani Lindsay, who was sent off in Monday’s 2-0 win over BB Coke, and face a Belair team coming off a win over deCarteret College on Monday.

Mile Gully are also on the hunt for a fourth win in Zone F to at least stay tied with Manchester and should have their way at home against BB Coke High.

Something will have to give if Holmwood Technical are to get their fourth straight win away to second-placed Christiana, as neither team has given up a goal this season.

Under new coach Sheldon Davis, Holmwood have scored 13 goals so far and are looking to be the class of the group.

Dinthill Technical and Ewarton High are on top of Zone K, each with three wins apiece and will take on McGrath High and Charlemont, respectively, setting up a clash of unbeaten teams on Saturday.

Fresh from their big triumph over Glenmuir High on Saturday, Garvey Maceo High will go after their fourth win when they host Foga Road High in Zone M.