Perennial favourites St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and upstarts Calabar High clash in a most crucial encounter as they try to rebound from Saturday’s defeats and save their ISSA/Wata Manning Cup season.

STATHS and Calabar will meet in the curtain-raiser at Stadium East at 2:00 pm in Zone B action before Charlie Smith and Jamaica College (JC) battled in a top-of-the Zone A encounter at 4:15 pm.

There will also be one quarter-final game at the Spanish Town Prison Oval as Zone B leader Eltham High tackle Vauxhall High at 3:00 pm.

The fourth quarter-final game between Hydel High and Excelsior High will be played on Wednesday at 3:00 pm.

With both STATHS and Calabar losing 4-1 and 1-0 to Eltham High and Vauxhall High, a win is of paramount importance in this the penultimate game of the quarter-final. It’s not quite a do-or-die game but a win would eliminate fears and another defeat would make it almost impossible to advance.

Calabar’s coach Jeremy Miller told the Jamaica Observer that it has been a roller-coaster ride for his team from a high after they saw off the champions Kingston College (KC) in a 2-2 draw to a low of losing to a Vauxhall team not having the same clout.

“The manner in which we lost, because it was a game that we pretty much dominated from start to finish and was just wasteful in front of goal,” Miller said. “So, we were taught a tough lesson that if you don’t convert our chances, we are setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Calabar will be looking towards nine-goal top scorer Kevaughn Campbell to lead from in front, along with the dangerous Jaheim Rankine, Obryan Marks and Payton Larmond.

“In approaching this game against STATHS, obviously, with the quick turnaround there is not a lot of training time, so we just have to refocus the boys and hope that we learned our lesson from last game and be more clinical in front of goal,” Miller said.

“The boys are still eager as ever to advance so they are looking forward to the game and are determined to get a result that gives us the best opportunity to progress.”

STATHS, which has been to three Manning Cup finals, and the Walker Cup final without success in recent times, are eagerly looking to get over that hump and only a win will be good enough for Philip Williams and his boys from Bumper Hall.

“It’s a game we are looking forward to, as you know we both lost our opening games and it’s important for us that we don’t see a repeat of the performance that we did versus Eltham, where we made a few mistakes at the back which cost us,” Williams said. “We are surely looking to tick all the correct boxes tomorrow as we seek to salvage and revitalise our season.”

STATHS will be hoping that their top scorers Shankeno Grant on 13 goals and Marvin Henry with 12 goals can deliver the goods.

In the feature encounter at Stadium East, Zone A leaders Charlie Smith and JC clash, knowing a win would put one foot into the semi-final.

Charlie Smith have grown from strength to strength since their opening day loss to KC and remained a dangerous team. They come face-to-face with a JC team that is the unbeaten standard-bearer of the competition and a team that any team wanting to win the cup must beat.

JC are a well-oiled, well-organised unit mixed with talent all round and will start favourite to win, boosting the likes of midfield general Jabarie Howell, an ideal box-to-box player.

Howell will be supported by the skilful Jamone Lyle, Duwayne Burger, Jamoy Dennis and Malique Bucknor, backed up by the solid Donald Stewart Jr, and Dontae Logan at the back.

WILLIAMS…we are surely looking to tick all the correct boxes tomorrow as we seek to salvage and revitalise our season (Photo: Garfield Robinson)