CATHERINE HALL, St James — Ocho Rios High and fellow first-time qualifiers St Catherine High will meet as the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Champions Cup competition kicks off this afternoon with a double-header at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

The start time for the opening encounter is set for 4:00 pm.

Both Ocho Rios — who are also first-time semi-finalists to the rural area daCosta Cup — and urban area Manning Cup outfit St Catherine High are in uncharted waters but both coaches say they are ready for the challenge.

In the second game at the venue, McGrath High, in the competition for the second time, will take on the might of the two-time former champions Jamaica College for a place in next week’s semi-finals.

Ocho Rios, who have defied the odds to get into the draw, will take on the underdog tag as they seek to extend their fairytale season. Twice they had to pull off the improbable to advance in the daCosta Cup competition.

“We belong here, we worked hard to be here like every one else,” Ocho Rios High Coach Veron Peterkin told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

Needing at least a draw to get past the round of 32 in the daCosta Cup, the St Ann-based team came back from a 0-2 deficit, scoring the equaliser in time added to eliminate Dinthill Technical. They then broke Garvey Maceo High’s months-long unbeaten record to win 2-0 at top their quarter-final group match.

Both of those matches were at Drax Hall, St Ann, but Peterkin said they would not be overawed by the occasion.

“It is still football and it will come down to how we play on the day,” he reasoned.

He said they were “excited and focused” and that they would not be thinking about the opponents.

“We have to focus on ourselves and play our football,” he noted.

Qualifying for the Champions Cup is yet another feather in the cap for the much-travelled and very experienced Anthony Patrick. The St Catherine High head coach said they had planned for the competition from as early as the pre-season.

“We plan to enjoy the moment. We have done well this season and the players are confident they will do well,” he added.

St Catherine High are returning to the venue that they won a pre-season tournament. Patrick said the team is not unaccustomed to winning as they had won a St Catherine parish Under-20 competition while playing as Racing United.

Meanwhile, McGrath High Coach Jermaine Thomas said his players appreciate the weight of the occasion and won’t be daunted.

“This is a huge task but we are up for it. It will take a lot of hard work because this Jamaica College team is full of quality and can hurt you in many ways.”

It took a 4-0 win over already eliminated Frome Technical in their final game of the daCosta Cup quarter-final stage for the 2019 daCosta Cup finalists and 2023 Ben Francis champions to get back to the Champions Cup.

Thomas said a measured approach is required against Jamaica College.

“We are coming to play, we are not going to back off. But we can’t be stupid either. We have to stay organised, be smart and wait for the moments, as we will get moments,” he explained.

The Champions Cup first round will continue on Saturday with two more games at the same venue. Hydel High and Garvey Maceo High are slated to meet in the first game before defending champions Glenmuir High take on two-time former winners Kingston College.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

4:00 pm — Ocho Rios vs St Catherine

6:15 pm — Jamaica College vs McGrath