The highly anticipated grand final of the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports Under-16 Netball Tournament is set to unfold this coming Monday, pitting reigning title holders Soufrière Comprehensive Secondary School (SCSS) against undefeated St Joseph’s Convent (SJC) in a high-stakes rematch of last year’s thrilling championship decider.
Both sides booked their spots in the title contest with lopsided semifinal victories staged Wednesday at the Micoud Court, setting the stage for a repeat of the 2025 final that saw SCSS edge out SJC by a single goal in a tense overtime finish, 24-23. That narrow triumph marked SCSS’s second consecutive U-16 netball crown, and their third top-tier finish in the past four tournament cycles, cementing their status as a dominant force in the local youth netball circuit.
SCSS sent an unambiguous statement of their intent to defend their title in their semifinal rout of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, running away with a commanding 31-6 final scoreline. Sharpshooter Kheryss Ferguson anchored their offensive line, sinking 16 of her 21 attempts, while fellow attacking starter Harriel William backed her up with a 15-for-19 shooting performance. Castries Comprehensive’s offense struggled to find consistent rhythm across the clash: goal attack Luwanda Antoine converted 3 of her 4 shots, while goal shooters Rhayne Henry and Loveah Anthony posted respective tallies of 2 goals from 6 attempts and 1 goal from 2 tries.
SJC, who have not dropped a single fixture across the entire 2026 tournament, delivered a similarly dominant semifinal showing to punch their ticket to the final, securing a 23-9 win over Beanefield Comprehensive. Their offensive output was spearheaded by goal attack Xanaiia Emmanus, who poured in 18 goals from 26 total attempts, with supporting production from goal shooter Skai St Clair, who converted 5 of her 6 shots. Beanefield’s top scorer Jerannie Marquis, playing in the goal shooter position, managed 9 goals from 17 attempts, but could not carry her side past the well-drilled SJC defensive line.