WITH the disappointment of failing to get out of the first round still fresh in their minds Munro College are expecting a much-improved 2026 daCosta Cup season as they chase their first title in more than 60 years.

Munro College wrapped up their preseason on Saturday with a 3-1 win over long-time rivals Cornwall College to retain the Jackson Shield, which has been contested between the two schools since 1996.

Kajaye Williams, who transferred from Manning’s School along with his brother Denton, scored for Munro College, along with Akel Vesprey and Izion Fraser, while Marcane Gooden scored for Cornwall College who ended the game with 10 players.

Munro College also won the Under-16 game 1-0 while the game between the over-35 teams ended in a 2-2 draw.

Everdeen Scarlett, who will begin his second season as coach of the team, said they are ahead of where they were last year.

Munro College head coach Everdeen Scarlett (Photo: Paul A Reid)

“We are better than where we were this time last season,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “I think we are better prepared for what is to come for the season. I mean, we closed out the preseason on a high, and we are just going [to] go back home and get ready for Saturday when the league kicks off.”

Munro College, who had invested heavily in players from other Caribbean islands, were expected to advance from a group that had three qualifying spots available. However, they managed to win just two of their six games and bowed out early.

Munro College will play away to Lacovia High on Saturday and will hope to at least advance to the second round. Scarlett said one of the first things they had to do was work on the mental side of the game.

“What we had to do first was deal with the mental part of things — I mean, it was heartbreaking not to advance from the group — and we got the boys together and told them that the first objective for this season is to get out of the group,” he told the Observer. “I think we are doing some good work with the boys for them to achieve that objective, and we as a group can look out for good things from Munro this season.”

Scarlett, who is part of the Kingston-based, Rudolph Speid-led group that took over at Munro last year after former Coach Kemar Ricketts, who had led them deep into the competition the previous season and who was surprisingly let go, said he was well aware of the expectations of the Munro College diaspora, who have not tasted victory since the mid-1960s.

“Yes I am well aware of the expectation of the whole Munro College family but one thing I can say is that I’m trying to make this team as competitive as they can and better than last season,” he said.

As an unseeded team, Munro start the season from the first round, and Scarlett thinks it is a good thing for his players.

“Playing from the first round will give us some momentum going into the second phase of the competition, so I’m happy that we are able to play in the first first half of the competition.”

In addition to Lacovia High, Munro College will also face BB Coke, Belair High, Black River, deCarteret College, Lewisville High and Mount St Joseph College in Group D. While he said he had not seen any of them play yet, Scarlett thinks once they play at their best, they will achieve their goals.

SBF central.