Anthony Walker of Rusea's High shields the ball from his opponent from Herbert Morrison Technical during the team's opening ISSA/Gatorade/Digicel daCosta Cup match at the Montego Bay Sports Complex. - File

Paul Clarke, STAR 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 Saturday 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 Corn-wall 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.

St James are hoping for the perfect start to help restore some lustre, after relative failure 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 belts, 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.