LAST WEEK’S matches during the 50th anniversary of TVJ’s Schools’ Challenge Quiz were nail-biting, as many top schools vied for a spot in the next round of the competition.
The first was a match-up between St Catherine’s St Jago High School and St Andrew’s Meadowbrook High School. St Jago won the toss and allowed Meadowbrook to go first, but led from the opening challenge to the end of the buzzer section. The final score read 33 to 21 points, in St Jago’s favour.
The second match for the week was between Knox College from Clarendon and Immaculate Conception High School from St Andrew. Both teams seemed equal at the outset, but Knox quickly took the lead and held on to it until the end of the buzzer challenge. Knox’s 42 points outmatched Immaculate’s 30.
The match between Jamaica College in St Andrew and Dinthill Technical High School in St Catherine was one that had many in the audience nervous. Despite the slow start of the opening challenge, which ended with Jamaica College on four points and Dinthill Technical on one point, the minute section proved different. While it seemed that the match would have been an easy win for Jamaica College, there was only a five-point difference between the two teams, in favour of Jamaica College, at the end of the speed section. The buzzer challenge was even more nerve-wracking, as it seemed like Jamaica College kept guessing answers, while Dinthill remained calm and only answered when they were absolutely certain of the response. The match initially ended with Jamaica College on 24 points, and Dinthill Technical on 25 points, but Jamaica College received an additional four points for an answer which was initially given as incorrect but accepted by the judges after queries. Jamaica College will now move on to the next round of the competition.
The highly anticipated match-up between St Andrew’s Campion College and St Ann’s York Castle left members of the audience on edge. Campion led from the opening challenge, but York Castle did not go down without a fight. Many in the audience agreed that York Castle could have won the match, but did not answer smartly, possibly because of nerves. The match ended with Campion College on 46 points and York Castle on 31.
The first in Friday’s double-header was between Kingston College, from the parish whose name it bears, and St Elizabeth’s Hampton School. While Kingston College went in as favourites, Hampton never lost sight of their desire to move on to the third round. Hampton trailed Kingston College by only one point at the end of the opening challenge, and by three at the end of the speed section. Kingston College then widened the gap in the buzzer challenge, winning with 34 points to Hampton School’s 21 points.
Westmoreland’s Manning’s School and Clarendon’s Vere Technical High School closed the week’s set of matches. While the teams seemed even, Manning’s School came out on top after buzzing only when they were certain of the answers. They won with 31 points to Vere Technical’s 20. Manning’s School will move on to the third round of the season.
