Crowned at Regionals, Crashed at Nationals: Central Regional Champions’ Struggle on the National stage
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Lately, eagle-eyed fanatics have noticed something rather unusual in the Central Region. An unrelenting cycle begging to be shattered and a trend waiting for the next Central Regional Champion to break. So, what exactly is this mystery?
For three consecutive years, winners of the Central Regional Championship have bowed out of the National Championship before the Quarter-final Stage, a jinx that has so far affected two different schools.
Schools that emerge as Central Regional Champions have struggled to maintain their momentum at the National Championship. Instead of riding on their regional triumph into the Nationals, they bow out early, only to find themselves returning to the Regional Qualifiers the following year.
From the bright Zebras of Adisadel College, who were crowned Central Regional Champions in 2022, 2023 and 2024, to the brilliant ladies of Wesley Girls’ High School, who claimed the regional title in 2025, after winning it in 2020, even the most formidable contenders have not been spared.
Adisadel College’s journey best illustrates how this cycle began. After winning the Central Regional Championship in 2022, they went on to reach the Semi-final Stage of the National Championship, earning themselves a seeded spot. However, 2023 marked the beginning of the jinx. Despite successfully defending their regional title, they lost at the One-eighth Stage of the National Championship to St. Louis SHS, thereby losing their seed.
As a result, Adisadel College had to start from the Regional Qualifiers in 2024. They once again emerged as Central Regional Champions, and that same year, a new classification known as “seeded non-seeded schools” was introduced. This category applies to schools that were not originally seeded, but earned promotion to the One-eighth Stage of the National Championship, after winning their respective Regional, or Zonal Championships.
Consequently, Adisadel College did not begin from the Preliminary Stage in 2024. Instead, they advanced directly to the One-eighth Stage as a seeded non-seeded school. Unfortunately, they suffered another early exit, losing at that stage to Apam SHS, which meant they once again lost their seed and had to return to the Regional Qualifiers for the 2025 season.
Likewise in 2025, Wesley Girls’ High School experienced a similar fate. Following the pattern set by Adisadel College, Wesley Girls’ High School, reigning Central Regional Champions, suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Abetifi Presbyterian Senior High School at the One-eighth Stage of the 2025 National Championship.
Despite the soaring expectations of fans who believed the twin stars of Wesley Girls’ High School would recreate their “twin-power” magic from the Regional Championship and progress deeper into the Nationals, the dream of lifting the trophy slipped through their grasp. Like Adisadel College before them, their exit at the One-eighth Stage meant losing their seed and returning to the Regional Qualifiers.
What could be the cause of this recurring pattern? Does the hunger fade after tasting victory too early? Or does the National Championship simply demand an entirely different level of grit, strategy, and endurance?
Whatever the reason may be, one thing is certain: the Central Region has quietly become home to one of the most intriguing plot twists in recent NSMQ history. One question remains: which school in the Central Region will rise as the next Regional Champion, break this cycle and possibly fight its way all the way to the Grand Finale?
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