Former champions Old Harbour High and BB Coke High will be in action this afternoon as the revamped ISSA rural area Ben Francis Cup football competition gets under way with six games, including a double-header at Drax Hall in St Ann.

The first round is to continue on Saturday with another 24 games, from which the winners will advance to the second round set for September 26.

A total of 64 schools, the most ever in the history of the competition, will take part in the competition. The boost in the number of participants form part of the changes to schoolboys’ football this season. The Ben Francis Cup will be played and completed before the end of the daCosta Cup competition.

Defending champions Clarendon College and former winners Munro College drew byes from the first round.

Old Harbour High, a seeded team in the daCosta Cup, are to open their season against Lewisville High.

Old Harbour were impressive at last weekend’s Super Saturday in-season festival, beating urban area Manning Cup teams Jamaica College and St George’s College 1-0 and 3-1, respectively.

St Catherine-based Old Harbour will take on a Lewisville High team that has won one of their three daCosta Cup games so far while conceding nine goals.

Elsewhere, BB Coke are set to host Irwin High, both of whom have been playing since the season got underway.

BB Coke, the 2019 champions lost for the first this season, going down 0-2 to Munro College in a daCosta Cup Zone D top-of-the-tables game on Wednesday. Their opponents Irwin have won all three daCosta games so far.

Irwin High, who are expected to be led by Nathaniel Foster and Cavon Morris, have allowed just one goal in their three games.

At Drax Hall, Ferncourt High, who have scored 11 goals in their two daCosta Cup victories, are to meet Porus High in the first game set to start at 2:00 pm. Ocho Rios High are to face Little London High in the second game at the venue.

Kemps Hill High will hope for a positive start to their season when they host Cross Keys High at Wembley Centre of Excellence. Elsewhere, Christiana High take on Fair Prospect High at Kirkvine Sports Club.

—Paul A Reid

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Ferncourt vs Porus @ Drax Hall (2:00 pm)

Ocho Rios vs Little London @ Drax Hall (4:15 pm)

Old Harbour vs Lewisville @ Linval Dixon Oval

BB Coke vs Irwin @ BB Coke

Kemps Hill vs Cross Keys @ Wembley Centre

Christiana vs Fair Prospect @ Kirkvine

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Maggotty vs Foga Road @ STETHS (2:00 pm)

STETHS vs Charlemont @ STETHS (4:15 pm)

Paul Bogle vs Holmwood @ Paul Bogle

Manchester vs Lennon @ Manchester

Titchfield vs Black River @ Carder Park

Rusea’s vs Spot Valley @ Colin Miller Complex

Frome vs Brown’s @ Frome

William Knibb vs Bellefield @ William Knibb

Denbigh vs Yallahs @ Denbigh

Manning’s vs Marcus Garvey @ Manning’s

St Mary High vs Edwin Allen @ Highgate Centre

Morant Bay vs St James @ Morant Bay

McGrath vs Horace Clarke @ McGrath High

Central vs Vere @ Effortville Centre

Cornwall vs Troy @ Cornwall

Knox vs Green Island @ Kirkvine

Dinthill vs deCarteret @ Dinthill

Petersfield vs Herbert Morrison @ Petersfield Complex

Glenmuir vs Muschett @ Glenmuir

York Castle vs Knockalva @ York Castle

Cedric Titus vs Cambridge @ Cedric Titus

Alphansus Davis vs May Day @ Alphansus Davis

Belair vs Lacovia @ Church Teachers College

Garvey Maceo vs Mile Gully @ Garvey Maceo

(Games to start 3:00 pm unless otherwise stated)