St Anthony's College, the two-time defending British Gas national Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) and Intercol champion team will start defence of its North Zone league title against rivals Malick Senior Comprehensive School.
The match-up between two of this country’s fierce SSFL rivals comes off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on September 10 from 3.30 pm.
The “Westmooring Tigers,” as St Anthony’s are commonly called, have won the zonal league title for the past three years and were only denied a treble of zonal Intercol crowns by QRC in the final.
The St Anthony’s/Malick encounter will be followed by a clash between North Zone Intercol winning team Queen’s Royal College and Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive at 5.30 pm.
One day earlier (September 9), the league will officially kick off with a double-header at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
The feature match will see Arima Senior Comprehensive, the reigning East Zone league and Intercol champion team and national runners-up in both league and Intercol competition last year meeting rival school St Augustine Senior Comprehensive from 5.30pm.
Two hours earlier, Barataria Senior Comprehensive faces neighbours St George’s College in the 2004 SSFL opener.
South Zone double-crowned champion school Naparima College also begin its league defence next Friday against St Benedict’s College at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella from 5pm preceded by a match between Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive and Princes Town Senior Comprehensive at 3pm.
The Tobago Zone gets going on September 14 with a double-header at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet while the Central Zone, the last to kick off is set for a September 17 start, with one match at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. The National League play-offs take place between October 16 - 23 while the Zonal National Intercol series runs from October 25 to November 26.
Valencia High School (East), Moruga Composite (South), Marabella Junior Secondary (Central) and Tranquillity Government Secondary of the North Zone are the promoted teams that will be competing this year.
Opening SSFL matches.
Thursday, September 10:
East Zone (Larry Games Stadium):
Barataria v St George’s College, 3.30pm
Arima SC v St Augustine SC, 5.30 pm
Friday, September 10:
North Zone (Hasely Crawford Stadium):
St Anthony’s College v Malick SC, 3pm.
Queen’s Royal College v Mucurapo SC, 5pm.
South Zone (Manny Ramjohn Stadium):
Pleasantville SC v Princes Town SC, 3pm.
St Benedict’s College v Naparima College, 5 pm.
Tuesday, September 14:
Tobago Zone (Dwight Yorke Stadium):
Bishop’s v Roxborough Composite, 2pm.
Scarborough v Signal Hill SC, 4pm.
Friday, September 17:
Central Zone (Ato Boldon Stadium):
Marabella Junior Sec v Presentation College