SSFL kicks off today in North, South, East

The match will follow the season opener between Arima North Secondary and San Juan North Secondary which will kick-off two hours earlier. Along with the East Zone, the North and South Zones will also get going this afternoon.

QRC hosts East Mucurapo

Queen’s Royal College (QRC) will take on East Mucurapo Secondary for the North Zone opener at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, in the second of three double-headers starting at the same time. North Zone champions St Anthony’s College will then take on St Mary’s College from 5 pm at the same venue.

Plesantville, Naps clash in opener

In the South Zone, Plesantville Secondary takes on Naparima at 3 pm at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, before Presentation College challenges St Benedicts at 5 pm. The Tobago and Central Zones will kick off next week Wednesday.

FIXTURES

Today

North Zone

St Anthony’s College vs St Mary’s College, HCS–5 pm
Queens Royal College vs East Mucurapo Secondary, HCS–3 pm

East Zone

Arima North Secondary vs San Juan North Secondary, Larry Gomes Stadium–3 pm
El Dorado East Secondary vs St Augustine Secondary, Larry Gomes Stadium–5 pm

South Zone

Pleasantville vs Naparima, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium–3 pm
Presentation College vs St Benedicts, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium–5 pm

SSFL kicks off today in North, South, East.
By Kern De Freitas & Donstan Bonn (Express).

The 2011 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season will kick off today in the North, South and East zones, with all eyes on last year's main contenders to see how they open their individual campaigns.

Both Central Zone and Tobago will start their seasons one week from today. The League will once again revert to two rounds, with the 2010 season being curtailed due to the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup hosted in Trinidad and Tobago.

North Zone

Today the North Zone gets going with a double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Queen's Royal College (QRC) are expected to have a tough test facing East Mucurapo Secondary from 3 p.m., before last year's top two teams—St Anthony's College and St Mary's College—clash at 5 p.m.

Malick Secondary won their playoff to stay in the Championship Division and they have the first bye, while Fatima College and Trinity College meet at Moka tomorrow from 3.45 p.m.

With few changes to their squad—speedy winger Andell Francois is their major loss—St Anthony's coach Nigel Grosvenor is "confident, but quietly so".

"Our pre-season training went as good as could be and the coaching staff did their job. It is now up to the players to go out and execute the things they were taught."

St Mary's are pleased with their pre-season training, and with their entire 2010 squad available, have set their sights on North silverware, for starters.

Said "Saints" coach Jason Edwards: "Our expectation or goal, as we define it, is to go one step further than we did last year. Having taken second place in the League and runners-up in the national InterCol, we aim to improve on those performances."

East Zone

In the East, St Augustine Secondary's "Green Machine" will open against El Dorado East Secondary at 5 p.m. at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, after they watch Arima North Secondary and San Juan North Secondary square off at the same venue from 3 p.m.

Barataria Secondary will also "host" Toco Secondary from 3.45 p.m. at San Juan's Bourg Mulatresse Ground, while Trinity College East are on a bye.

Big losses in St Augustine's squad include Keon James and midfielder Zavion Navarro, but the "Green Machine" are generally strong starters, particularly in the League.

Like last year, coach Michael Grayson is again targeting all four trophies available to his team.

"Every season we prepare to go the distance but it's only on the field of play you can prove whether you can go the distance or not. St Augustine's aim has always been to win as many trophies as possible and this year it's no different."

South Zone

It's a toss-up in the South, with Naparima College in a re-building phase, according to coach Leonson Lewis.

The team has lost a number of starters and will field players from their Under-16 squad in their senior starting line-up. Still, they are hoping for victory.

"Once we get on the field we will try to win every single game that we play," Lewis told the Express yesterday. "But the reality of the situation is I have a lot of Under-16 players on the bench as well. That is what we're going to try to develop."

While St Benedict's College and Shiva Boys Hindu College will harbour ambitions of pulling the upset in South, Presentation College San Fernando will also fancy themselves as contenders, with coach Shaun Cooper having great expectations.

"Naps" will face Pleasantville Secondary from 3 p.m. at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, the first match of a double-header that will also feature Presentation and St Benedict's College, who do battle from 5 p.m. Shiva Boys are on a bye, while returning Vessigny Secondary won their playoff to earn the right to face Princes Town at Princes Town from 3.45 p.m.

Today's SSFL fixtures:

NORTH ZONE

Queen's Royal College vs East Mucurapo Secondary, Hasely Crawford Stadium, 3 p.m.

St Anthony's College vs St Mary's College, Hasely Crawford Stadium, 5 p.m.

EAST ZONE

Arima North Sec vs San Juan North Sec, Larry Gomes Stadium, 3 p.m.

El Dorado East Sec vs St Augustine Sec, Larry Gomes Stadium, 5 p.m.

Barataria South Sec vs Toco Sec, San Juan Sec Ground, 3.45 p.m.

SOUTH ZONE

Pleasantville Sec vs Naparima College, Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 3 p.m.

Presentation College vs St Benedict's College, Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 5 p.m.