OCHO Rios High’s Head Coach Veron Peterkin is taking a patient approach to this season’s ISSA daCosta Cup football competition as he builds a young team.

Ocho Rios High, who as a seeded team missed the first round of the daCosta Cup, will kick off their season against Little London High in the first round of the Ben Francis Cup on Saturday, September 19. They lost both games in the ISSA Super Saturday In-season Festival in Montego Bay.

They lost 4-3 to Vauxhall High and 3-2 to Mona High, but Peterkin said the games had helped their preparations as they were still in preseason mode.

One of the reasons Peterkin is able to take a relaxed approach, he said, is that, barring any unforeseen incidents, he can make long-term plans with the same team expected to return next season.

“We lost four players from last season’s team that went to the quarter-finals,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “And they are still young and they will return to school next year.”

Peterkin said they had started preparations later than normal but were on track.

“It is not going too bad. We started a bit later but we’re getting there.”

Ocho Rios High will play in Group 4, along with Dinthill Technical and McGrath High, when the second round gets under way, with three qualifiers completing the group. However, Peterkin said they are taking things one game at a time.

“We are not putting any expectations or pressure on the team; they are still young, they are not that mature either,” he said.

Despite losing the likes of Keneil Brown and Nathan Whitehorne, Peterkin will have Dario James, who scored 18 goals last season, goalkeeper Devrick Brown, Ryan Francis and Allyja Bylthe returning this season.