The highly anticipated Under-19 Netball Tournament, organized by Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, delivered a series of stunning upsets at Thursday’s semifinal showdown held at the Micoud Court, sending shockwaves through the local youth netball community. The most headline-grabbing result saw reigning title holders Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (VFCSS) get dethroned in a lopsided 53-33 defeat at the hands of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), eliminating the defending champions from contention to retain their crown. Leading SALCC’s dominant upset run was senior national netball standout Naijah Ferdinand, who turned in a masterclass performance at the goal shooter position, anchoring her team’s attacking circle with an exceptional 40 successful conversions from 47 attempts. Her supporting partner at goal attack, Neanna Francois, chipped in with an additional 13 goals from 22 shot opportunities to seal the decisive victory. For the ousted VFCSS squad, goal attack Neriah Charlery shouldered the bulk of her team’s scoring load, netting 32 goals from 46 attempts, while her counterpart at goal shooter Bernege Joseph managed just 1 successful goal out of 7 tries. In the second semifinal fixture of the day, Soufrière Comprehensive Secondary School (SCSS) locked in their spot in next week’s U-19 championship decider after fending off a determined challenge from Saint Lucia Sports Academy (SLSA) with a 25-19 final scoreline. The win puts SCSS in an extraordinary position to chase a rare dual youth netball title, as the Sulphur City-based side is already scheduled to compete in the Under-16 championship match set for the coming Monday. SCSS, who previously claimed the U-19 netball crown two years prior, drew their offensive firepower from dynamic goal attack Harriel William, who led all scorers in the contest with 15 goals converted from 24 attempts, while goal shooter Kheryss Ferguson added 10 more goals from 18 shot chances. For the SLSA side, goal attacks Isabella Emilienne and Hayla Samuel contributed 16 goals from 21 attempts and 3 goals from 4 attempts respectively, but their combined effort was not enough to overcome SCSS’s defensive pressure. Adding an extra layer of narrative to this year’s tournament, neither of the two finalists – SALCC and SCSS – featured in the 2025 U-19 title match, where the pair had previously faced off only in the third-place playoff, a fixture SALCC won 28-25. The 2026 U-19 Netball grand finals are slated to take place next Friday at the Beausejour Gymnasium, with the blockbuster title bout pitting SCSS against SALCC. The championship showdown will be preceded by the third-place playoff, which will see eliminated semifinalists VFCSS and SLSA go head-to-head to claim the tournament’s bronze medal.