Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer

Left: Glenmuir's coach Jackie Walters Right: Garvey Maceo's Jeffrey Hewitt

Tomorrow, history beckons for Garvey Maceo High for a first-ever daCosta Cup title while for Glenmuir High, it's another golden chance to cement their newly earned status as the kingpins of rural schoolboy football.

It's a special and rare occasion for two Clarendon schools to meet in the stellar schoolboy final at a venue central to both - Brancourt. The last time this happened was in 1996, when Clarendon College met Glenmuir at Woodside, a venue no longer used for football. Clarendon College won on that occasion and tomorrow's match-up will include a familiar face - coach Jackie Walter's, the architect of Clarendon's rebirth in the 1990s, and the man who has been behind Glenmuir's emergence in this decade as the top school at this level. In the last four years at Glenmuir. Walters has been able to qualify for four daCosta Cup finals, losing only once to Godfrey Stewart, in 2005.

STERLING PERFORMANCES

This year, however, despite sterling performances which include a 3-2 win over Cornwall at Jarrett Park in the semi-finals and coming back from a 0-2 nil deficit to Munro to claim an important draw in the quarterfinals. Glenmuir are unlikely to start favourites even as defending champions.

This is because their opponents beat them 1-0 when the two contested the preliminary zone, and most important, appear more motivated as they are chasing further history after earlier winning the Ben Francis Knockout Cup, against old nemesis, Rusea's.

This, however, does not daunt Walters.

"Of course they beat us in the early rounds, but this is a final, and we have to step up to the plate. We'll be ready for them," Walters told The Star.

His opposite number, Jeffrey Hewitt, has no fears and eagerly awaits the kick-off whistle at 3 p.m.

"We're in good physical condition and mentally prepared," Hewitt told The Star on Wednesday night. "It's all systems go."

Though his team has never played in a daCosta Cup final, he claims he is not nervous.

"Basically, going up against Glenmuir is nothing strange. When we play them, it's always like a final - 4,000, 5,000 people."

Tactically, the match-up will be interesting.

MARKSMAN BENNETT

It is unthinkable that Garvey's marksman, Ashton Bennett, will not play a significant part, as he has scored an astonishing 37 goals this season and, according to statistics provided by his coach, 89 for the last three seasons. He has scored in every match Garvey Maceo has won. In fact, his failure to get on the scoresheet in two games - quarter-final match up against Cornwall College - resulted in a loss (0-2) and against Manchester High 0-0. He was, however, in prime form in the last encounter - the daCosta Cup semi-final in which he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Rusea's.

Glenmuir, on the other hand, will bank on their midfield strength bolstered by national youth players Marvin Boothe and John Ross Doyley (hat-trick in semis against Cornwall) and captain James Thomas, who has played on the three victorious daCosta Cup teams.