DEFENDING champions Calabar High will put their title on the line when they oppose St George’s College as the 2017/2018 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) High Schools Under-19 Southern Conference Basketball League final today at the G C Foster College, beginning at 4:00 pm.

Meanwhile, a new champion will be crowned in the Under-16 league final when Camperdown High do battle with Jamaica College scheduled to start at 2:30 pm. Calabar were the holders of the Southern Conference Junior League and were also the All-Island champions.

The senior league final promises to be a very tight, as each team holds a victory over the other from their two meetings this season.

Calabar had defeated St George’s by 14 points in their first meeting at the “Light Blues” home court, but St George’s College turned the tables on the Red Hills Road-based aggregation by one point.

According to Coach Ludloo Barker, the game should develop into a competitive and exciting duel, and he is very confident that his team will retain his title.

Barker said he will be looking forward to a good performance from the entire team, especially his 6-foot, nine-inch Marco Downer, the top rebounder and shooter in the competition.

St George’s Coach Clifford Brown said the team’s chances are as good as any, as the players have been playing good basketball this season.

“It should be a very competitive and exciting clash between the two teams, and St George’s is looking to continue playing good basketball and hoping to come out victorious,” Brown said.

He added that Calabar have been having a good run of winning the league titles over the years as they are a good team, but it will require an all-round team team effort to pull off victory. “I don’t rely or depend on any individual player because it is a teamwork and everyone should play their part.”

Meanwhile, Jamaica College’s (JC) Coach Dwayne Cunningham said the game should be an exciting encounter, as both teams will be facing each other for the first time in a long time.

“The preparation of JC for the final went well, and we are looking to pull it off despite both teams having a number of good players in their line-ups. Camperdown is currently unbeaten and is also a very good team and will be going all out for victory,” Cunningham said.

Coach Oneil Brown of Camperdown High said his team’s chances are great and he thinks that if the players should play to instructions they should come out winners.

“I, however, won’t be underrating my opponents, because this is a final, and the team who wants it most and produces the least mistakes should come out victorious,” Brown said.

The Camperdown coach added that although the team is currently unbeaten going in today’s final, the last time the two teams met was last summer with Camperdown claiming the win.

“This is a different game, and it’s a final, and JC is not expected to make it easy for Camperdown, as they will be on the hunt for victory. It should be exciting, as both teams have experienced players in their line-ups,” said the Camperdown coach.

— Gerald Reid