St. Louis Senior High School and the KNUST SHS proved their mettle, cementing their stance as a dominant force after qualifying to the quarter-finals stage of the Luv FM Kel-Charcoal Toothpaste High School Debate.Christian Service University saw a hard-hitting contest on Monday, August 17, 2026, as KNUST SHS and St Louis SHS defeated Afigyaman and Konongo Odumasi, respectively, in the first two contests of the round of sixteen (16).The 8th edition of the Luv FM Kel Charcoal Toothpaste High School Debate entered the Round of 16 stage, seeing arguably the best contests of the competition yet as two semifinalists from last year, KNUST SHS and St. Louis SHS, took on Afigyaman SHS and Konongo Odumasi SHS.Contest 1 of the day saw KNUST SHS take on debutants Afigyaman SHS in a fiery battle where minds ignited. The intellectual motion debated was on “Ghana should consider a Chinese-style elite system for choosing its president instead of popular elections”.The contest saw KNUST fully stand behind the motion whilst the debutants in Afigyaman stood ready to oppose. The contests were filled with accurate and perfect use of points throughout.The energy in the auditorium was electric with both schools taking the foyer by force during their individual turns. KNUST’s principal speaker delivered a justifiable and equitable point on how using the Chinese system would improve nation building and foster more growth other than the elections that led to unnecessary politicization.The speaker and her supporting debater developed another well-reasoned argument, highlighting how the system would enable projects to be initiated and completed more efficiently, unlike the “impression-based projects” often pursued by politicians.Afigyaman stood more than ready to also prove their points, setting strong counterarguments on the points KNUST built up. The contestants emphasized that the nation belongs to all its citizens and, therefore, should not be governed solely by any particular group or social class.A true David versus Goliath story was witnessed in the first contest as no side was backing down. KNUST would not back down or falter, even in the slightest; instead, they would remain resolute and continue moving forward with even greater determination.At the end, Afigyaman’s underdog story came to an end as KNUST would sweep them out of the competition winning by unanimous decision of 236-213 and advancing as the first quarter finalists.The contestants expressed satisfaction with the result and, speaking to JoyNews, confidently assured the school that they would make it to the finals this year.Contest 2The second contest witnessed another semifinalist from last year, St Louis SHS, took on Konongo Odumasi SHS for the next spot in the quarterfinals. Supporters from both schools appeared eager and enthusiastic as they anticipated the contest.The motion for Contest 2 was “Legalization of Okada (tricycles) on our roads is not helpful”. KOSS advocated for the motion whilst the “Pacesetters” of St Louis stood ready as they mounted a strong argument to oppose the motion.Konongo Odumasi came out of the gate strong, citing historical instances of reckless driving by unauthorized tricycle riders that had resulted in casualties across the country. St. Louis appeared unfazed by the argument, instead presenting compelling counterarguments and even challenging their central claim about casualties by asserting that such incidents were not directly attributable to the drivers of these vehicles.After the rebuttals round, it was still anyone’s game to call. However, it would be “Pacesetters” of St Louis overcoming the “Anuanom” of Konongo Odumasi to advance to the next stage of the competition. The school clinched a 231-213 victory. Konongo Odumasi SHS were left heartbroken as their journey came to an end.St Louis’s supporters spoke about their victory and also showed support and good sportsmanship towards their opponents.“We wish them the very best in any future endeavours of theirs in the future editions of this competition,” a proud supporter of St. Louis said.The day witnessed a series of impressive performances, with some stories reaching unfortunate conclusions while others continued on a path of redemption.Although the eventual outcome of the competition remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the action, drama, and heightened moments are only just beginning with more to come.The competition is sponsored by Kelcharcoal Toothpaste, Didi Shito, Bigoo, The Seed Travelz, Serpo Mystical Pen, Verna Mineral Water, Jackson University College, Tamak, St. Ben Jewellery, Otuasekan Community Bank, and New Generation Investment Services.