Paul Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Defending daCosta Cup champions Rusea's High will go in search of win number two, when they battle Merlene Ottey in one of the 37 matches scheduled for today across 15 zones in the ISSA/Gatorade/Digicel rural area football competition.

Rusea's share the lead in Zone B with former champions Frome Technical after winning their respective opening games. Frome will tackle Herbert Morrison and Green Island clash with Cambridge.

Zone A rivals St James High, winners in 2008, and many-time champions Cornwall College meet in the match of the round at the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall, and much hinges on the outcome to see who will take the lead atop the altered zone, with Anchovy and Irwin High opting out of the competition.

Plenty of hope

St James are hoping for the perfect start to help restore some lustre, after relative failure over the last two years, while Cornwall are hoping for a stellar season, the last of which landed them the 2001 title.

Meanwhile, the steadily improving Spot Valley High, with Creston Bernard at the helm, will match up well against Hopewell, while Holland High, who earned a 0-0 draw in their first game against William Knibb, are hunting full points, according to their coach John Thomas.

Petersfield are hurting following their 2-0 loss to Grange Hill midweek and will look to rebound against the marauding Manning's School, who made light work of Little London on their Zone D opener to hold a share of the lead on goal difference.

Action in the zone will be completed with 2005 winners Godfrey Stewart bowing into action against Grange Hill, who were slick in their win over Petersfield, and should feel they have enough ammunition to get by the former champions with bragging rights at stake.

Much is expected, however, from Zone E contenders STETHS who will play Lacovia, while Black River, with a win already under their belt, take on a strong Munro contingent with a point to prove and with Andrew Edwards pulling the strings from the sidelines. The schedule is completed with a clash between Balaclava and Maggotty.

Other matches scheduled for today are:

Zone F

Manchester vs Cross Keys

B.B. Coke vs Bellefield

Zone G

Christiana vs Alston

DeCarteret vs Knox

Holmwood vs Spalding

Zone H

Claude McKay vs Clarendon College

Thompson Town vs Lennon

Zone I

Brown's Town vs Albert Town

York Castle vs Cedric Titus

Ocho Rios vs Marcus Garvey

Zone J

St Mary Tech vs St Mary High

Islington vs Iona

Oracabessa vs Brimmervale

Zone K

Ewarton vs Tacky

Charlemont vs Dinthill

McGrath vs Bog Walk

Zone L

Titchfield vs Fair Prospect

Happy Grove vs Buff Bay

Zone M

Porus vs Garvey Maceo

Denbigh vs Foga Road

Bustamante vs Glenmuir

Zone N

Kemps Hill vs Tacius Golding

Central vs Old Harbour

Zone O

Morant Bay vs Paul Bogle

St Thomas Tech vs Seaforth

Robert Lightbourne vs Yallahs