St. James Seminary SHS produced a masterclass of academic dominance in the final of the Bono-Ahafo Zonal Championship, crushing their opponents with a dramatic second-round surge that sealed their path to glory in the 2025 NSMQ.

The Abesim-based boys finished with an emphatic 64 points, well ahead of Sunyani SHS (31 pts), Berekum Presby SHS (27 pts), and Notre Dame Girls’ SHS (22 pts).

The contest opened with intense competition. At the end of Round One, only 10 points separated the four schools: St. James led with 25 points, closely followed by Sunyani SHS (21 pts), Berekum Presby (18 pts), and Notre Dame (15 pts). But the turning point came in Round Two, where St. James blew the contest wide open, racking up almost every available point to open a staggering 26-point gap by the start of Round Three.

From there, it was a one-horse race.

The team’s speed, coordination, and composure across the rounds dazzled the crowd. Their fans responded in kind, erupting into wild jama celebrations and filling the auditorium with chants, claps, and drumbeats that echoed their school’s academic authority, so much so that organizers had to intervene and threaten to eject them from the hall.

This zonal title comes on the back of an already impressive campaign. Seeded directly into the semifinals thanks to their 2024 quarterfinal appearance at the national stage, St. James had earlier made light work of Tuobodom SHS, Akumfi Ameyaw SHTS, and Methodist SHTS, Berekum, scoring 69 points and winning the GOIL Riddle Bonanza with three out of four correct answers.

Their return to zonal supremacy is a full-circle moment, after narrowly losing out in last year’s final to Sunyani SHS. With this triumph, they now reclaim the Bono-Ahafo zonal crown and strengthen their position as a top contender heading into the national championship.

For a school that reached the NSMQ semifinals in 2022 and continues to build on that legacy, this year’s zonal victory is more than just a win; it’s a statement.