Published: March 30, 2026
MONROVIA — Nathan F. Reeves Charity Memorial High School and Howard Academy have been crowned champions of the 2025–26 National High School Championships after dominant performances in the football and kickball finals at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex on Friday.
Charity Memorial secured the football title with a commanding 3-1 victory over Grand Bassa’s Open Bible High School, capping a dominant run through the tournament.
A large crowd packed the Paynesville venue as both sides battled for national bragging rights. Despite the pressure, including a missed penalty, Ralph Weah found the net to help seal the win.
Charity Memorial’s tactical discipline and attacking strength ultimately proved too much for the Bassa side, as they controlled key moments of the match and finished clinically.
In kickball, Montserrado County’s Howard Academy claimed the title with a narrow 1-0 victory over St. Paul Episcopal Parish High School in a tense final decided by a lone home run.
Despite the defeat, St. Paul’s Righteous Blimie was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. She received a $1,000 cash prize and a smartphone in recognition of her outstanding performance.
Both championship-winning schools, Charity Memorial in football and Howard Academy in kickball, earned $7,000 each, along with trophies and gold medals.
Runners-up Open Bible High School and St. Paul Episcopal Parish High School received $5,000 apiece.
Charity Memorial’s Alvin Kollie emerged as the standout football player of the tournament, earning MVP honors after scoring four goals and providing five assists. The Invincible Eleven player, popularly known as “Tarwoe,” finished with nine goal contributions.
He was awarded a $1,000 cash prize, presented by former Liberia international James Salinsa Debbah.
As football champions, Charity Memorial will also earn an international trip to compete in either Ghana or Nigeria, part of efforts to promote youth development and academic engagement.
Organizers said the tournament, established in 2017, has grown into one of Liberia’s leading youth sports platforms, now involving more than 150 schools across all 15 counties.
They added that the competition continues to boost school enrollment, particularly among girls in southeastern Liberia.
With their victories, Charity Memorial and Howard Academy have further cemented their place in the competition’s history, highlighting the growing depth of talent in Liberian school sports.
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