Merrimack Valley High School Wins Season Opener of NHPTV's Granite State Challenge

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(DURHAM, September 23, 2010) – It was a nail-biter of a game as Merrimack Valley High School won the season opener of Granite State Challenge, besting John Stark Regional High School by 200 to 195 in last night’s match. Catch Granite State Challenge Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and again Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. on New Hampshire Public Television, and always online. The triumphant Merrimack Valley Lions included junior David Pivia and seniors Alex Williams, Nathan Merrow, Maya Westcott, Henry Bendel and Derek Blunt. They were coached by Brett Thompson. Their opponents, the John Stark Generals, included seniors Nick Rico, Sarah Ray, Taylor Frarie, Emily Lukasiak and Katie Muzzy, as well as junior Matt Reynolds. They were coached by Jill Pinard and Phil Matzke. TUNE IN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 @ 6 p.m. BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL vs. BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL Tune in each Wednesday night @ 6 p.m. and follow your favorite teams' progress. The popular quiz contest begins with 32 Granite State high school teams battling toward the coveted SuperChallenge title. There are four single-elimination rounds leading to the final contest in April. If you missed a match and want to see how your favorite team fared, watch Granite State Challenge online at www.nhptv.org/gsc and on YouTube, or download it from the Granite State Challenge website or iTunes Music Store as a video podcast. Granite State Challenge brings New Hampshire's top high school academic teams head-to-head in spirited competition. The contest emphasizes quick recall of factual material in all major disciplines – math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts - along with a smattering of pop culture trivia and New Hampshire topics. Long-time host Jim Jeannotte asks the Challenge questions to the teams; co-host Lori Warriner interviews team members prior to the game. Funding for Granite State Challenge is provided Public Service of New Hampshire, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Irving Oil, Markem-Imaje and the NHHEAF Network Organizations.

Major funding provided by Unitil

Additional funding is provided by NEA New HampshireSafety Insurance, Bangor Savings Bank, and Aroma Joe's.


Watch Online

SuperChallenge: Merrimack Vs Plymouth

Plymouth Regional High and Merrimack High meet for the third time in the final.

Watch More Merrimack Valley High School Wins Season Opener of NHPTV's Granite State Challenge


GSC Fun Facts:

  • Granite State Challenge premiered on January 30, 1984
  • 21 NH high schools have taken home the GSC Championship Trophy
  • Londonderry High School took the first championship title.
  • Merrimack High School took the 2023 title.
  • Over 6,500 students have participated in GSC.
  • Over 135, 000 questions have been asked on GSC.

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Semi Finals: Merrimack VS Trinity

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QF: Hopkinton Vs Laconia

QF: Hopkinton Vs Laconia

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QF: Plymouth Vs Nashua South

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Plymouth Regional High meets Nashua High South in the third game of the quarterfinals.


QF: Souhegan Vs Trinity

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Souhegan High meets Trinity High the second game of the quarterfinals.

QF: Merrimack Vs Academy Science & Design

QF: Merrimack Vs Academy Science & Design

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Inter-Lakes Vs Laconia

Inter-Lakes Vs Laconia

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Hopkinton Vs Salem

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Conval Vs Nashua South

Conval Vs Nashua South

ConVal High and Nashua High South meet up in game six of the first round.

Newfound Vs Plymouth

Newfound Vs Plymouth

Newfound Regional High and Plymouth Regional High go head-to-head in game five of the firs

Academy Science & Design Vs Manchester Central

Academy Science & Design Vs Manchester Central

ASD takes on Manchester Central.

Oyster River Vs Trinity

Oyster River Vs Trinity

Oyster River High takes on Trinity High in the fourth Round One game.

Souhegan Vs Dover

Souhegan Vs Dover

Dover High faces off against Souhegan High in the third Round One game.

Belmont Vs Merrimack

Belmont Vs Merrimack

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Granite State Challenge Season 42

Granite State Challenge Season 42

New Hampshire's brightest high school kids square off in a high-stakes quiz showdown.

Wildcard Game 1 - Belmont vs. Concord

Wildcard Game 1 - Belmont vs. Concord

Belmont High meets Concord High in the first wildcard qualifying game.

Wildcard Game 2 - Lin-Wood vs. Newfound

Wildcard Game 2 - Lin-Wood vs. Newfound

Lin-Wood High faces Newfound Regional High in the second wildcard qualifying game.

SuperChallenge: Merrimack V. Plymouth

SuperChallenge: Merrimack V. Plymouth

Bobcats vs. Tomahawks in this final matchup of the season.

Plymouth V. Trinity

Plymouth V. Trinity

Plymouth Regional High School takes on Trinity High School.

Hopkinton V. Merrimack

Hopkinton V. Merrimack

The semifinal round opens with Hopkinton taking on Merrimack.

Oyster River V. Trinity

Oyster River V. Trinity

Oyster River takes on Trinity in this quarter final match.

Bow V. Plymouth

Bow V. Plymouth

Bow High School takes on Plymouth Regional High School.

St. Thomas Aquinas V. Hopkinton

St. Thomas Aquinas V. Hopkinton

Hopkinton and St. Thomas Aquinas face off in a fast-paced round two competition.

Merrimack V. Souhegan

Merrimack V. Souhegan

Merrimack High School takes on Souhegan High school.

Dover High V. Trinity High

Dover High V. Trinity High

Dover High School takes on Trinity High School in the final match up of round one.

Oyster River High V. Winnacunnet High

Oyster River High V. Winnacunnet High

Oyster River High School takes on Winnacunnet High School.

Bow High V. Mascoma Valley Regional High

Bow High V. Mascoma Valley Regional High

Mascoma Valley Regional High School takes on Bow High School in this round one match.

Plymouth Regional High V. Salem High

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Plymouth Regional High meets Salem High in this round one match.

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Hopkinton High meets defending champion Portsmouth High.

Fall Mountain Regional High V. St. Thomas Aquinas

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Fall Mountain Regional High meets St. Thomas Aquinas High in game three.

Nashua High South V. Souhegan High

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Wildcard Game 1 - John Stark vs. Newfound

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Wildcard Game 2 - Profile vs. Salem

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Londonderry Vs Portsmouth

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Londonderry High School takes on Portsmouth High School.

Nashua South Vs Merrimack

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