The fate of defending champions Garvey Maceo High and Maggotty High could be decided this afternoon when the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) daCosta Cup football competition resumes after a 37-day interruption because of the passage of Hurricane Melissa in late October.

All ISSA-run sporting events were paused on October 24 due to the impending arrival of the monster Category 5 storm that left a trail of death and destruction, particularly across western Jamaica. The hurricane caused damage and displacement across the entire island.

High school sports only restarted earlier this week with the playing of netball and boys’ basketball.

Earlier this week, Maldon High withdrew from the daCosta Cup, with the school saying it has not been able to properly prepare for the resumption as only a handful of players had been showing up for training.

This afternoon, both teams will be going after their first win in a tough Group 3 that also includes former champions Glenmuir High and Clarendon College and must win of they are to keep their hopes alive.

Glenmuir High lead the zone after beating Maggotty High 1-0 in the opening round-of-16 game on October 22. Garvey Maceo and Clarendon College, who played out a 0-0 result, are on one point each.

Garvey Maceo Head Coach Lester Hibbert, who admitted he was not in favour of the resumption due to the catastrophic damage in some parts of the country but went along with the decision, said the preparation was not ideal.

“We only started training two weeks ago as we did not have light or water, so I am not sure what to expect [on Friday]. We were able to work on some things but this will be like a restart,” he told the
Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

He aded: “This game is important for us. I don’t want to pressure the players as they have come through a lot in the last few weeks, but a draw will not help us.”

Maggotty High progressed to the final 16 after placing second in their round-of-32 group, rebounding from a loss to Ocho Rios High to beat Petersfield 4-0 in their last game of the second round.

The St Elizabeth-based school had reportedly expressed reservation about their ability to resume due to the impact of the hurricane. Depending on how well they were able to prepare for the restart they could provide the champions with a stiff test.

After advancing from their first round group as a third-place finisher, they had upset former champions Rusea’s High in their opening round-of-32 game and have clawed their way into contention for a run at a first-ever football silverware.

— Paul A Reid