Miguel Coley enters the 2017-2018 ISSA/FLOW Schoolboy Football season with a legacy to protect.

Since taking over the job as head coach of Jamaica College in 2013, he has won both the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield on each occasion.

When you throw in the FLOW Super Cup, which he won in the inaugural year of that competition in 2014, it shows just how remarkable a job he has done at the Old Hope Road-based institution.

The expectations are always high at the home of the “True Blue” and this season will be no different.

Coley is retooling, but believes that the hunger in the belly of his players and his coaching staff is enough to get them the start they need against St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) on today’s opening day.

For the former Reggae Boyz coach, it is great to begin the season as the defending champions, yet again.

“It’s a good feeling to be honest; it is motivation for the players to know that they are going for the fifth title. But I approach it [the title chase] like number one because we are always hungry, we are always eager to go out there and to play good football and to win, because winning is important,” he explained.

JC have lost at least seven starting players in goalkeeper Tajay Johnson, hard-tackling defender Ajeanie Talbott, top scorer Duhaney Williams, big match-winner Donovan Dawkins, midfield general Chauvaney Willis, Captain Ocuin Robinson; and Ronaldo Brown.

Though he has lost so many quality players Coley believes in the strength of the squad he has this term. He still has Tyreke Magee, who is considered one of the best schoolboy footballers in the island, and is expected to lead a JC team apparently in transition.

“They are pretty strong; mentally they are getting there. We are a very technical team. Tactically we still have a lot to do and they are receptive towards that, so I am hoping that as we go along they can understand me more and I can understand them more and adapt,” the coach said.

Apart from STATHS, JC will also have to battle Group B rivals Bridgeport High, Donald Quarrie High, Mona High and Papine High in order to advance to the second round.

Another long season is on the cards and there are four trophies to be won, but the man who has won it all, except the Walker Cup Knockout title, will have the same approach as he does each season.

That is, to take it one game at a time.

“The most important game for me is the first game, and we are training in terms of that because from the first game we can assess what needs to be done, what we need to work on and stuff like that. Jamaica College pride themselves on winning all the trophies but the first game is very important,” he concluded.

Jamaica College defeated Wolmer’s Boys’ on the way to lifting the Manning Cup trophy last season, before getting the better of daCosta Cup champions Cornwall College to lift the Olivier Shield — making them the best overall team for 2016. However their head coach is not a satisfied man and wants to claim everything in 2017.

Jamaica College will start the Manning Cup season as favourites once more, but know that it will be a tough grind to sweep all the trophies in what is expected to be an even more competitive campaign this year.

The season officially begins today in Catherine Hall, St James, where Jamaica College will face STATHS in the opener for the second season in a row, at 4:00 pm.

JC won 2-0 last year and will be looking for a repeat, but STATHS will be looking for a much better result. Defending daCosta Cup champions Cornwall College, who won every game they played on the way to securing their 12th title last year, will look to start with a bang against Green Pond at 6:00 pm.