It was a narrow escape, but a meaningful one. After missing out last year, Lawra Senior High School has clawed its way back to the national championship.

In a hotly contested battle in the Upper West regional qualifiers, they finished second with 44 points, just behind Nandom SHS’s 49. T.I. AMASS, Wa, managed only 16.

Despite not topping the contest, qualification was secured after making over 40 points. But for Lawra SHS, the real story lies behind the scoreboard.

After the contest, their contestants spoke candidly about the frustrations that nearly derailed their campaign, especially a persistent struggle with the quiz bell system.

“It wasn’t really about difficulty with the questions. We made petty mistakes. The bell was our biggest problem, we weren’t used to it,” contestant Nuba Enoch

The unfamiliarity proved costly. According to them, several times, they had the answers, but their buzz came too late. Either it didn’t register, or an opponent beat them by a fraction of a second.

“We would press it just when we got the answer, but it won’t respond. That’s how we lost valuable points,” said Mufida Wahidu, one of the contestants.

Despite the technical hiccups, they pushed through. And now, with the ticket to the nationals secured, the team is choosing growth over grumbling.

“This is not enough,” another contestant Ibrahim Alhassan admitted. “We’re going to sit back, assess our performance, and train harder. At the zonal championship, it’ll be a different story. We promised our school and even the old boys that we will lift Lawra SHS to a place it’s never been. said Ibrahim Alhassan, his voice filled with resolve.

Nandom Senior High School topped the contest with 49 points also securing a place at the nationals as well as the zonal championship.