HANOVER, Jamaica – Former champions Rusea’s High School made a winning start to the ISSA daCosta Cup football competition on Monday with a 7-0 drubbing of Merlene Ottey High in a Zone B game played at the Collin Miller Sports Complex in Lucea.

Shamour Brown scored a first half hat-trick for the ‘Russians’ who had to wait four games last season to get their first win, as they seek to exorcise the ghosts of the last three season when they failed to live up to expectations.

Rusea’s failed to get past the first round last season after they were knocked out in the second round the previous two seasons.

Also on Monday, Green Island edged Hopewell High 1-0 in another Zone B game played at Orchard, while Manchester High beat Mt St Joseph Catholic High 4-0 in Zone F.

In Lucea, Brown made a strong start to the season with three early goals to calm the jitters for his team, but put Merlene Ottey under pressure as with the addition of an own goal, Rusea’s led 4-0 at half time.

Terome Morgan, Jathae Reid and DeonJay Brown added goals in the second half for Rusea’s, who only scored eight goals in six games played last season.

At Orchard playfield in Hopewell, Orlando Smith came off the substitute bench to score in the second half to give Green Island all three points.