Hillel Academy has finally been included in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association’s (ISSA) Corporate Area Manning Cup, which will see an interesting change in format as the groupings have been revealed.

This will be Hillel’s first taste of public-school competition as they are drawn in Zone E alongside 2023 champions Mona High and former champions Wolmer’s Boys, Calabar High and Dunoon Park Technical.

The zone is completed by Ascot High, Pembroke Hall and Meadowbrook High.

A revised Manning Cup grouping shows a reduction to just five zones of eight teams each.

Each team will play seven games, not including home and away games, this year. The top four teams on points will then play each other again, making the total number of games 10.

Then the top three teams from each zone and the best fourth-placed team will advance to the next round.

Defending champions Kingston College are drawn in Zone B and will face Tivoli Gardens High, Charlie Smith, Kingston Technical, Denham Town, Haile Selassie, Jose Marti and Tarrant.

Many-time champions Jamaica College will be in Zone C alongside St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), Camperdown, Vauxhall High, St Mary’s College, Spanish Town High, Edith Dalton James and Greater Portmore High.

Zone A will see semi-finalist Hydel High take on the likes of Excelsior High, Bridgeport High, St Jago, St George’s College, Holy Trinity High, Gaynstead High and Jonathan Grant High in what looks like the group of death.

Last year’s beaten finalist, St Catherine High, heads Zone D with Campion College, Clan Carthy, Penwood, Papine High, Eltham High, Norman Manley High and Innswood High in what is the weakest zone on paper.