STETHS, Cornwall duel in Ben Francis quarters
The semi-finalists in the ISSA/Wata Ben Francis Cup will be decided on Thursday with the playing of the quarter-final featuring a second matchup between St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Cornwall College, the two most successful schools in the history of the competition.
STETHS and Cornwall College, who combine for 13 titles, have combined for five goals in an explosive daCosta Cup round-of-16 game in Montego Bay, with STETHS winning 3-2.
Also today, 2006 champions Frome Technical will host BB Coke High at Llandilo Sports Complex, Happy Grove High and Manchester High will meet at Carder Park, and McGrath High take on Manchester High at Ewarton Sports Complex.
The Happy Grove High vs Christiana High game will ensure at least one first-time semi-finalists, while both BB Coke and McGrath will also be hoping to make it to the last four for the first time.
STETHS, Happy Grove, Frome Technical, and McGrath High were first-round winners in the competition that started last week, and they are facing teams that were knocked out at the quarter-final stages in the daCosta Cup.
STETHS, who won six consecutive Ben Francis Cup titles between 2010 and 2015, are coming off a 1-0 win over William Knibb Memorial, also at the STETHS Sports Complex last week.
Cornwall College lost all three quarter-final games after edging STETHS on goal difference in the daCosta Cup round of 16 and both teams will be familiar with each other.
Both teams should be well rested for what could be another close game, with much on the line.
BB Coke High just missed a place in the daCosta Cup semi-finals and will hope their form will carry over into the Ben Francis Cup when they travel to Llandilo Sports Complex to face Frome Technical who beat Tacky High 4-1 in the first round last week.
BB Coke will be without the influential Jahmaul Wright, who was sent off against Dinthill Technical in their daCosta Cup quarter-final game a week ago.
However, Coach Kemar Ricketts hopes Enrique Powell and Sanjay Allen will be able to produce the goals that will carry them to a win.
Manchester High, who have been as far as the Ben Francis final, will seek to salvage their season, which has taken a big hit, losing three games across the daCosta Cup round of 16 and the quarter-finals after winning their first 13 games played.
They will face a McGrath High team who managed to get past Port Antonio High on penalty kicks last week.
Christiana High, losers of four of their last six games, and all three in the daCosta Cup quarter-final, will be away to Happy Grove who beat Mile Gully High 2-0 in the first round of the Ben Francis Cup.
Thursday’s games
•STETHS vs Cornwall College @ STETHS
•Happy Grove High vs Christiana High @ Carder Park
•Frome Tech vs BB Coke @ Llandilo Sports Complex
•McGrath High vs Manchester High @ Ewarton Sports Complex
*All matches start at 3:00 pm