What was expected to be a routine path to the finals for Adisadel College turned into heartbreak, as Mfantsipim School edged them out in a tight contest, denying them a chance to secure a fourth consecutive appearance in the Central Regional NSMQ finals.

The second contest of the day took off with tension already in the air, after a bit of a struggle to settle the charged-up contestants and supporters in the auditorium.

Mfantsipim set the tone by getting their first question right, though without the full mark. Adisadel College, on the other hand, found their rhythm early, answering all their major questions and picking up a few bonuses.

Kwabotwe had already missed one question in the round, while St Andrews SHS and Assin State College were also keeping up with solid responses. Apam SHS, however, stumbled through the round with several misses.

At the end of the first round, Adisadel led with 26 points, with Mfantsipim closely behind on 20. Apam followed with 15, Assin State College had 13, and St Andrews trailed with 12 points.

Then came the speed race, and Botwe wasted no time. They rang for the first question and got it right, triggering excitement in the room. Adisadel answered the second but got it wrong, and the rest — Apam and St Andrews — followed suit with more wrong attempts. Mfantsipim rang again, got it right, and the crowd erupted.

By the end of the second round, Mfantsipim had taken the lead with 29 points. Adisadel trailed with 24. Apam scored 16, Assin State had 12, and St Andrews dropped to 9 points.

Round three, the true or false round, started with all schools answering their sets correctly — but the tide shifted when Mfantsipim missed a question midway through. Adisadel, who were hot on their heels, took the moment to celebrate.

Apam and St Andrews slipped on a few questions as well, while Adisadel maintained a clean sheet. By the end of that round, both Mfantsipim and Adisadel were tied at 42 points. Apam had 30, with St Andrews and Assin State College level on 22 points.

The final round was make-or-break — a test of nerves and speed. Mfantsipim nailed two riddle questions, giving them the edge. All schools missed one of the final riddles, but Adisadel managed to get the last one right.

It wasn’t enough.

Mfantsipim sealed the win with 48 points, three points ahead of Adisadel’s 45. Apam finished with 30, Assin State ended on 25, and St Andrews bowed out with 22.

With that result, Mfantsipim School has not only qualified for the Central Regional NSMQ finals but has also halted Adisadel’s hopes of making a fourth consecutive appearance in the regional championship match.