By Jason Pike – Sports Correspondent.
This past weekend marked the culmination of the high school girls’ slo-pitch season in Newfoundland and Labrador, with 24 teams competing across the 2A, 3A, and 4A provincial championships held in three host communities.
2A Championship – Port Saunders
Port Saunders played host to the 2A provincial tournament, welcoming eight schools from across the island.
Division 1 included Canon Richards High, Baltimore High, Leo Burke Academy of Bishop’s Falls, and St. James All-Grade.
Division 2 featured French Shore Academy, J.M. Olds Collegiate of Lewisporte, Valmont Academy of King’s Point, and Fortune Bay Academy from the Burin Peninsula.
The event saw plenty of one-sided results — a pattern seen in many of this year’s regional qualifiers — sparking conversation about whether it may be time to reintroduce the 1A provincial championship to balance the competition among smaller schools.
When the tournament wrapped up, J.M. Olds Collegiate once again reigned supreme, capturing their eighth provincial girls’ slo-pitch title in the past ten years, solidifying their reputation as a dynasty at the 2A level.
3A Championship – Laval High School, Placentia
Laval High School in Placentia served as host for the 3A girls’ championship, which also featured eight competitive teams.
Division 1 consisted of Glovertown Academy, Mobile Central High, Woodland Hills Academy, and Pasadena Academy.
Division 2 included Botwood Collegiate, Discovery Collegiate of Bonavista, Templeton Academy from the west coast, and the hometown Laval High Lakers.
While the tournament saw several lopsided games, it also produced a changing of the guard. Long-dominant programs such as Mobile and Glovertown were eliminated earlier than expected, making way for fresh contenders.
The championship game came down to Botwood Collegiate and Templeton Academy, two resilient squads that battled through their brackets with strong defense and timely hitting. In the end, Botwood Collegiate claimed the provincial banner with a 5–3 victory, earning the 3A gold in fine fashion.
4A Championship – Gander Collegiate
The 4A provincial championship took place at Gander Collegiate, which hosted another strong eight-team field.
Division 1 featured the host Gander Collegiate Concordes, Exploits Valley Academy, Prince of Wales Collegiate, and Mount Pearl Senior High.
Division 2 was made up of Roncalli Central High, Clarenville High, Stephenville High, and Queen Elizabeth Regional High from Foxtrap.
The 4A tournament showcased a heavy east-coast presence, with five of the eight participating teams hailing from the region. Appropriately, it was an east-coast school that emerged victorious.
In a thrilling championship matchup, the Roncalli Cardinals dethroned the defending champions — the Gander Collegiate Concordes — to capture the 4A provincial title. The win marked Roncalli’s fourth championship in five years, further cementing their legacy as one of the province’s premier girls’ slo-pitch programs.
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Final Thoughts
This year’s slate of provincial championships highlighted both dominance and renewal across the divisions. From J.M. Olds’ continued dynasty at the 2A level to Botwood Collegiate’s breakthrough performance at 3A and Roncalli’s sustained excellence at 4A, the weekend served as a celebration of teamwork, perseverance, and the thriving spirit of high school girls’ softball in Newfoundland and Labrador.
