MONTEGO BAY, St James — The business end of the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup football competition gets under way today with the playing of first-leg games in the second round which will be played on a home and away format, with the winners on aggregate advancing to the quarter-finals.

Sixteen games, pitting the top 32 teams from the first round in a home and away format introduced last year, will see defending champions and top seed Rusea’s High playing Mile Gully High, one of two best third-placed teams that advanced.

The top 32 teams, first and second in each of the 15 zones and the two best third-placed teams, one each from two pre-arranged pools, qualify for the second round where they are ranked first through 32nd based on bonus points, some carried over from last year depending on where they finished, and some earned this year, based on performances.

There are 10 teams in the second round which were not here a year ago, led by the impressive Charlemont High who were unbeaten in Zone K but are ranked only number 16.

Two teams — Clarendon College and Garvey Maceo High — come into the second round with perfect win records, while another 11 are still unbeaten.

Rusea’s High and last season’s beaten finalists Clarendon College both earned 20 points and will play third-place qualifiers Mile Gully High and Green Island High, respectively.

The Clarendon College vs Green Island match up is a repeat of last year, one of two such, with Seaforth High and Garvey Maceo also meeting at this stage for the second year running.

Both Clarendon College and Garvey Maceo won their second-round ties last year and, based on form, are expected to win again this year.

With the other higher-ranked teams such as Rusea’s High, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), Cornwall College and Dinthill Technical are expected to win as well as Lennon High, Glenmuir High and Charlemont High, the other games are expected to provide good competition.

Cedric Titus were unfortunate to have met STETHS last year and failed to advance, but will have a chance against Maggotty High, one of the new teams this year.

The Trelawny-based Cedric Titus won nine games this year, conceding just five goals, and face a Maggotty High team that managed to score just 11 times in their 10 games.

Both Old Harbour High and St Mary High are in the second round for the first time in years, and one will get into the quarter-finals as will the winners of the matchup between St James High and Paul Bogle.

St James High got into the last 16 last year after getting the better of Mile Gully, while Paul Bogle were knocked out by Holmwood Technical.

Frome Technical will start favourites to return to the quarter-finals against Christiana High, who won a tough Zone G to return to the second round for the first time in a few years.

A Petersfield High team that includes several players with at last three seasons in the competition, and who were knocked out by Central High last year, will seek to atone when they face B B Coke High.

Today’s games

Herbert Morrison Technical vs Dinthill Technical @ Jarrett Park @ 1:00 pm

Spalding High vs Manchester High @ Mile Gully Community Centre @ 1:00 pm

Old Harbour vs St Mary High @ Juici Patty Complex @ 1:00 pm

Oracabessa vs Port Antonio High @ Drax Hall @ 1:00 pm

Mile Gully High vs Rusea’s High @ Mile Gully Community Centre @ 3:00 pm

Green Island vs Clarendon College @ Rusea’s High @ 3:00 pm

Vere Tech vs STETHS @ Juici Patty Complex @ 3:00 pm

Seaforth High vs Garvey Maceo @ York Oval @ 3:00 pm

Titchfield High vs Cornwall College @ York Oval @ 3:00 pm

Maggotty High vs Cedric Titus High @ STETHS Complex @ 3:00 pm

Little London High vs Lennon High @ Frome Sports Complex @ 3:00 pm

St Mary Technical vs Glenmuir High @ Highgate Community Centre @ 3:00 pm

Christiana High vs Frome Technical @ Manchester High @ 3:00 pm

Brown’s Town vs Charlemont High @ Drax Hall @ 3:00 pm

St James High vs Paul Bogle @ Jarrett Park @ 3:30 pm

B B Coke vs Petersfield High @ STETHS Complex @ 5:00 pm