The 2026 school sports season in Saint Lucia is under way after four competitive matches opened the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports' Under-19 basketball tournament at the Beausejour Gymnasium on Tuesday. St Mary's College, Soufriere Comprehensive, Leon Hess Comprehensive and Beanefield Comprehensive all began their campaigns with victories.
As reported by St. Lucia Times, the closest of the four came in the day's opening feature, where last season's runners-up St Mary's College edged Castries Comprehensive Secondary School 50-43. It was a game of momentum swings that kept both sets of supporters on edge until the final buzzer.
St Mary's, known across the island as SMC, led 8-5 after the first quarter and then dominated the second, taking it 20-10 to open a 13-point cushion by half-time. Castries Comprehensive refused to fold, winning both the third period 14-12 and the fourth 14-10, and closed to within three points in the final frame before St Mary's steadied themselves to hold on.
Denzel Rollins was the engine behind the St Mary's win, finishing with 10 assists and eight rebounds, while Daelan Magloire and Jabari Archibald added 10 points apiece. Archibald also collected 10 rebounds in a strong all-round display. For Castries Comprehensive, David Chandler top-scored with 17 points and added seven rebounds and two blocks, and Jeannah Louis contributed 14.
The east Castries derby went the way of Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, who beat Entrepot Secondary 43-28. Hess edged ahead 6-4 early on, Entrepot took the second period 14-13, and then Leon Hess settled the contest in the third quarter, which they won 16-4 to pull clear for good.
Azariah Moffatt led the Hess scoring with 17 points and two assists, supported by Mikhail Felix with 12 points and five rebounds. Jaiden Gregg was Entrepot's standout performer with 14 points and nine rebounds in a losing cause.
Soufriere Comprehensive, the side from what locals call Sulphur City, beat Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School 31-17 in a game they controlled almost from start to finish. Soufriere built an 8-1 lead in the opening 15 minutes and went in at the break 15-3 in front. A 10-4 third quarter kept the advantage intact, although Vieux Fort took the final period 10-6.
Curdin Jones was the dominant figure on court, finishing with 18 points, 20 rebounds and a block for Soufriere, with Aloysious William chipping in five points and four assists. Chris Cyrilion top-scored for Vieux Fort with 12 points and six rebounds, and Doniv Jn Baptiste added three assists.
The lowest-scoring match of the day saw Beanefield Comprehensive beat Choiseul Secondary 9-3. Beanefield led 4-3 at half-time and then held Choiseul scoreless for the entire second half, adding four points in the third quarter and one more in the fourth. Steven Haale led Beanefield with five points, Liam Edward pulled down eight rebounds, Rennel Joseph scored Choiseul's only points, and Christiano Nestor took six rebounds.
For followers of sport in Saint Lucia, the opening day underlined how much young talent is circulating through the island's secondary schools, and the standard on show in Gros Islet suggests another competitive tournament ahead. School sport plays a similar role in community life to village football, and visitors staying at hotels in St Lucia near the Beausejour and Rodney Heights facilities sometimes find an amateur or school fixture happening alongside the island's more publicised events.
The fixtures continue on Thursday at the same venue, with reigning champions Sir Arthur Lewis Community College meeting Leon Hess Comprehensive in the standout tie, and Entrepot Secondary facing Beanefield. Both matches will give an early indication of who is likely to challenge last year's leading sides as the tournament unfolds through the school year.
For UK readers, October sits in the wetter part of the year, so anyone considering the best time to visit St Lucia around the island's school sports calendar should note that basketball is an indoor season at the Beausejour Gymnasium, sheltered from the elements. Between games there is no shortage of things to do in St Lucia, from forest trails to the beaches in St Lucia's north, and the island's schedule of community celebrations means the school season often runs alongside a full programme of St Lucia festivals.
The tournament now moves to Thursday, when the champions begin their defence and the four opening winners look to build on promising starts.
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