'Black River oust Munro', the headline on Page 2 of yesterday's STAR read, the picture of a smiling Black River team just below.

And a girl was among the quartet, so it definitely was not football. That would not be surprising, but this result was.

The victory of Black River High over Munro College is not a small thing, as far as our perception of what constitutes a good school goes. It is difficult to get higher up the secondary school academic ladder, maybe in terms of reputation if not actual results, than Munro, a school steeped in history. And as one of the upgraded high schools created overnight by decree as the secondary system was phased out, Black River High not only does not have that much vaunted history to wave like a banner, but also started out as suspect in being a high school in name only.

Against this background, Black River's victory is not an insignificant achievement and neither is it an insignificant statement on the progress of at least one relatively newly created high school.

We have seen it in sports, where Frome has lifted the DaCosta Cup for rural Under-19 high-school footballers and Bridgeport has done the same for the Corporate Area Manning Cup. But this is different. Football is, unfortunately, still seen as a sport where brains are not a primary requirement. There is no getting around the academic requirements for quiz.

However, this is not a sweeping statement of arrival for the non-traditional high schools, but a sign that good is possible and happening.