STETHS's Deshawn Brown (left) and Manchester's Jason Johnson (right).

Western Bureau:

The coveted ISSA/Pepsi/ Digicel daCosta Cup title - symbol of rural schoolboy football supremacy - will be at stake today when two-time champion St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and first-time finalists Manchester High square-off in the 2009 champion-ship game at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, starting at 3 p.m.

Prior to the final, which will be extended into extra time and penalties if necessary, Clarendon team Lennon High and their St Elizabeth counterpart Munro College will meet in the rural Under-16 final, starting at 1 p.m.

After what has been an excellent season, STETHS and Manchester High could be described as unlikely finalists. However, based on their semi-final performances, which saw Manchester ousting defending champions St James High 3-0 on penalties after a regulation and extra-time 0-0 stalemate, and STETHS spanking Garvey Maceo 3-1, an intriguing final is anticipated.

Despite the vast improvements Manchester High have made since they suffered a 2-0 inter-zone loss to STETHS earlier this season, the STETHS team is chock-full of confidence that they will be able to repeat that success and walk away with their third daCosta Cup title, following previous successes in 1974 and 1999.

"We are in a buoyant mood at this time and we are ready to get the job done," said STETHS' coach Andrew Edwards.

"We started the season knowing that once we play our best football we are capable of beating any team in this competition and as you can see, we have been playing very good football."

first final

However, having achieved their dream of making their first final this season, the Barry Watson-coached Manchester are all but ready to celebrate their first title.

Their inter-zone loss against STETHS is now a vague memory as the entire Manchester High camp is firm in belief that their wait for a first daCosta Cup title will end today.

"When our programme started four years ago our projection was that we would win the title this year and we're confident that we will get the job done," said Watson.

"Despite the successes we had had this season, I still believe we can play better so I hope the boys have been saving their best for this final."

While Edwards started the season quite confident after losing just thrice in over 30 pre-season games, STETHS' preliminary campaign in Zone E was not as smooth as he had anticipated. They lost group honours to Munro College and as a consequence, did not get a chance to contest the Ben Francis KO.

However, following their successful inter-zone, quarter final and semi-final campaign, which has resulted in them entering the final with a respectable 12 wins, two draws and three defeats in 17 games, one can understand the reason for STETHS's optimism heading to Jarrett Park this afternoon.

For his part, Watson believes making the final is a case of natural progression on the part of his Manchester High team, which he has been carefully nurturing over the past four years to meet this very important moment in their history.

"Since the programme started four years ago we have enjoyed some measure of success each year; getting into the inter-zone round twice and making the quarter-final once," said Watson. "We believe we are on target to win this year."

quality players

Looking at the quality players on both teams, it is difficult to say that one is more rounded than the other as both are blessed with very good offensive and defensive qualities. In fact, one suspects that should both teams report in their best form, it may well take extra time and penalties to decide a winner.

Deshawn Brown, who has scored 24 of STETHS's 52 goals this season, will be leading the team's attack. He is expected to get high-quality support from his strike partner, Denmark Gillings, central defender Dravian Williams and the wily Akeemo Palmer, who have all been stamping their class in recent games.

While coach Watson prefers to see Manchester High as a total team rather than a group of talented individual players working together, there is no denying that if success is to come his team's way much will depend on the class of the likes of Jason Johnson, Dave Morgan, Oral Johnson, Romaine Thomas and goalkeeper Michael Parcells.