The semi-final of this year's National Science Maths Quiz (NSMQ) scheduled to come off Monday, June 26, has thrown up some very interesting pairings and it is expected to be fireworks.
In what could be described as 'final before the final' maiden edition winners with three trophies so far, Prempeh College will come up against Mfantsipim School and Mawuli School from Ho in the second semi-final of the competition.
While Prempeh and Mfantsipim, two-time winners themselves, are considered among the best second cycle schools in science education, Mawuli which is the best Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) secondary school and the arguably the best in the Volta Region is no less a competition.
Prempeh qualified for the 2017 semis by making mince meat of Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) and Aduman SHS (ADMASS), polling a whopping 82 points to the 39 and 31 points for GSTS and ADMASS respectively. It is a record margin of victory for this year's competition.
Mfantsipim scored a total of 54 points to defeat their Cape Coast rivals Aggrey Memorial SHS and Anlo SHS which finished with 29 and 26 points respectively.
Mawuli's 56 points proved unassailable for West Africa SHS's 38 and Holy Child School's 21.
What makes the tie interesting is the fact that the favourites, Prempeh and Mfantsipim clashed in the quarterfinal of last year's competition with the latter emerging triumphant.
Though Mawuli may be seen as the underdog, they have the pedigree to pull off a surprise and go ahead to even win Volta Region's first trophy.
In other pairings, it will be an all Cape Coast affair as defending champions, Adisadel College (ADISCO) faces Ghana National College and University Practice SHS (UPSS) in the first semi-final.
Adisadel got 50 points to defeat New Juaben SHS's, Koforidua (NJUASS), 40 points and Takoradi SHS's (TADISCO), 38 points to qualify for their third semi-final in a row. They are the favorite to win.
Ghana National amassed 50 points to beat two of the best female second cycle schools in the country, Aburi Girls SHS and Archbishop Porters' Girls SHS, which had 28 and 34 points repctively in the quarter-finals.
They will be tough competition for UPSS which got 51 points to defeat Tamale SHS's (TAMASCO), 48 points and KNUST SHS,s (TECH SEC), 38 points.
One thing worth noting about this tie is that no matter who wins, Cape Coast, a city considered a citadel of education in Ghana would be represented in the final.
The last semi-final tie also promises to be mouthwatering as it pitches five-time champions and the most successful school in the NSMQ, Presbyterian Boys SHS, Legon (PRESEC) against one-time winner, St. Thomas Aquinas SHS and 2016 semi-finalists, Kumasi High School (KUHIS).
PRESEC got 53 points to defeat giant killers Keta SHTS (KETASCO) and Jachie Pramso SHS (JAPASS) who had 44 and 31 points respectively in a very nerve racking competition.
Aquinas qualified with 42 points beating the 40 and 35 points of Nifa SHS and St Hubert Minor Seminary respectively, while KUHIS garnered 43 to beat the 31 and 39 points for Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast and T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Fomena respectively.
Though KUHIS is the clear underdog here, PRESEC and AQUINAS would be underrating them to their own peril as they have proven to be quite formidable especially with their last round performances and they could cause an upset.
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