Presec Boys 'climb the ladder' to NSMQ17 semis after Ketasco man-marking

Billed the biggest contest for bragging rights, the National Science and Maths Quiz last quarter-final clash saw the favourites Presec grab a tough win over Volta regional giants Ketasco.

A contest so close for so long, it may be time for doctors and paramedics to set up camp at the NSMQ contests.

Presec used the final round to establish a 9-point superiority after four rounds of close 'man-marking' from Ketasco.

End of contest: Presec, Legon: 53
Keta SHTS: 44
Jachie Pramso SHS: 31
Ketasco the underdog was always going to cause five-time champions, Presec, problems following some impressive feats which saw them kick out another big name school, Opoku Ware SHS (OWASS).

And they did as by the end of the second round, only two points separated Presec and Ketasco in this science and maths brawl.

Another giant-slayer Jachie Pramso was off the pace with 10 pts behind Presec, petering out a potential repeat of that knock-out to Pope Johns' SHS.

End of Round 2:
Presec, Legon: 30
Keta SHTS: 28
Jachie Pramso SHS: 20
Although Presec led in the first two rounds, their 8-pt first round lead was slashed to just two - enough to send panic bottoms in this competition know for pressure as for brains.

By the Third Round there was no Presec lead only Presecan palpitations as a ruthless social media waited for a trolling that could go on for days.

End of Round 3
Scores so far: Keta SHTS: 31
Presec, Legon: 31
Jachie Pramso SHS: 21
Ketasco had used the tricky issue of the 'Problem of the Day' to restore a parity to put all the pressure on Presec.

With a Chemistry question for 10 pts, Presec will not be happy with collecting a point when Aduman SHS had collected a perfect score barely 24 hrs earlier.

The Problem of the Day is a pitfall for lesser than school but it was Presec which was in the pit here as Ketasco managed 3 pts. Jachie Pramso had 1 but they won't mind as long as Presec was their new classmate in this one.

In Round 4, Ketasco clang on to Presec as Biblical Ruth clang on to Noami with both repeating the tie as was the case in the Third Round.

End of Round 4:
Presec, Legon: 41
Keta SHTS: 41
Jachie Pramso SHS: 31
In truth, the pressure in the R.S Amegashie auditorium was not fair on the contestants too young to carry the load of living up to the glory of their forebears or erasing the 'shame' of their ancestors.

Presec has been here before. Only in the 1/8 stage, they had to fight hard to upstage Accra Academy after their Accra rivals went into a shock lead.

Presec survived that one and after the final riddle in Round 5, they have survived again. Phew.

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