Scholar’s Bowl is the perfect opportunity for random trivia filled fiends to compete with one another in battle of the smartest every Wednesday night.

This academic program is an opportunity to place a competitive spirit in a book smart atmosphere. Blood, sweat and tears may not be the classic combination used on this playing court, but where physical attributes lack, mental power exceeds. Like any sports team, there are highs and lows throughout the match. Those born with the gift, like senior Aaron Neal, excel on the ‘playing field’, while others intensely study to keep with the pack.

It is not just for random trivia fanatics - every question ranges from academic studies to pop culture. Members of scholars bowl are normally well versed in specific arenas of intellect. When united, the combination of specific skill forms a powerhouse of knowledge.



“We all have to work as a team. I may be good at geography, but without my teammates we would never advance in art or literature. Alyssa Mitchell is usually our literature go-to girl, and Phil Johnston is the sports guy,” Neal said.

Practices are often a mock rehearsal of tournament play. The varsity team practices Thursdays, and JV practices Tuesdays. With a complete buzzer system, the teams practice by playing mini rounds of trivia. Sometimes team sponsor John Hawkins challenges the players by taking up a buzzer himself and playing with them.

"Imagine practicing football without the running except for the same amount of intensity and action. It’s a torrent of knowledge and intellect that forces you to second guess yourself, but at the end you come through," junior Micah Russell said.

This year, scholar’s bowl sparked the interest of enough players to form three teams. Tryouts consist of a pre-season, in which Hawkins allows everyone interested to display their intellect. After a few practices he chooses a starting varsity team, and the rest falls into place throughout the season. The varsity team is made up of seniors Aaron Neal, Shawn Randall, Shane Russell, Alyssa Mitchell, Michael Mahanna and junior Hannah Welch. The two JV teams are a combination of players that prove themselves during practice.



Each match begins with a lightning round of 10 questions. The questions vary in all disciplines from math and science to art and literature. Two teams compete at one time, each with four players on them. Two panels are established with a buzzer system linking each player to the moderator. The moderator reads off the question, and the first team to answer correctly is offered a bonus question. Patience is key in this round, because answering to quickly can often lead to buzzing in before the question is fully read.



After the lightning round a worksheet intersession occurs. The entire team works together to earn 100-130 points. Once the worksheet is completed the teams face off in a 10 question catch-up round, with each question worth 15 points.

Sometimes a third round is played after the catch-up round, depending on the location of the tournament.

“Sometimes it comes down to one on one questions. The entire team has to work together to find the solution, but it’s all over in a matter of seconds,” Neal said.

Sweaty palms and sly remarks are often at the hands of coaches as well as competitors.

“The real competition is between the coaches. During the match we are usually sitting behind the panel. There is a lot of nice small talk going on. The funny thing is when we all pretend to know the answers to the questions and say snide remarks like ‘it just was not your day, was it?” Hawkins said.

With just six weeks left in this season, crunch time to perform well has birthed a new spirit over the team. The final county competition will be held Feb 24.