GRANGE HILL, Westmoreland – MANNING’S School, last season’s beaten finalists, will kick-off their campaign in the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) daCosta Cup competition on Saturday when they take on Grange Hill High in a Zone D game at Belle Isle Sports Complex in Westmoreland, starting at 3:30 pm.

Manning’s School was one of the major surprises of the 2021 season and fell just one game short of winning their first senior football title when they were beaten in the final by Garvey Maceo in January, ending what was up to then a magical run for the Savanna-la-Mar-based school.

Two games will be played in Zone D on Saturday as Belmont Academy will face Petersfield High at Sandals Whitehouse, also set to kick-off at 3:30 pm.

Six games will be played in Zone D, among them is the match between Godfrey Stewart High and Black River High in St Elizabeth.

The competition continues in western Jamaica on Monday with two games in Zone B — Rusea’s High will play Merlene Ottey High at the Collin Miller Complex in Lucea, while Hopewell High and Green Island High face off at Orchard in Hopewell.

On Tuesday, Manning’s School hosts Black River in Savanna-la-Mar while on Wednesday there will be three games in Zone A and two each in Zones C and D.

Grange Hill High, Belmont Academy, Merlene Ottey High and Hopewell High have returned to the competition after a one-year hiatus.

Manning’s School will start as favourites to win Zone D but the competition is expected to be tougher this year with teams playing home and away games, unlike last year when teams played each only other once.