Academy for Science and Design Defeats Littleton High

Granite State Challenge - Round One

(DURHAM, February 15, 2020) – Do you know the name of the Cornish, New Hampshire native who served in all three branches of the federal government? That was one of the questions that stumped both the Phoenix of The Academy for Science and Design charter school out of Nashua, NH and the Littleton High Crusaders in the latest game on Granite State Challenge.

Playing for the Academy for Science and Design were Captain Jonah Rivers, Ella Blanchard, Derek Lechner, Shikhar Gupta and alternates Isobel Walton and Joshua Rivers. The team is coached by Douglas Belley.

The Littleton High Crusaders were represented by Captain Jenna Doucette, Vincent Silva, Marcos Silveira, Austin Hastings, and alternates Bailey Reed and Riley Johnson. The team is coached by Charles Denny.

At the end of a close first round, the Academy for Science and Design held a slight 80-60 lead over Littleton. The lead went back and forth on the second round, but in the end, the Academy for Science and Design held on to their20 point lead over Littleton with a score of 180-160.

In the 60-second round, Littleton selected the category "Such a Phony" and identified six out of ten answers that included the letters "p-h-o-n" in that order. The Academy for Science and Design chose the category "Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose" and correctly named nine out of ten answers that included the word "duck" or "goose," missing only on the clue: A type of bowling (duckpin.) At the end of the round, the Academy for Science and Design extended its lead to 270-220.

In the fourth round, where correct answers are worth 20 points, but an incorrect answer can cost a team 20 points, the stakes are higher and leads can quickly change. Littleton was able to correctly answer questions about the Kremlin, the United Arab Emirates, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Finland, but were not able to catch up to the Academy for Science and Design, who correctly answered questions about the film Psycho, Arianna Grande, Shirley Chisholm, John Donne, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Led Zeppelin and won by a final score of 330-240.

The Academy for Science and Design will meet Merrimack High in the quarterfinals.

Still wondering about the Cornish, NH native who served in all three branches of the federal government? It was Salmon P. Chase - he was sixth Chief Justice of the U.S., a U.S. senator from Ohio, and the 25th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He was also the governor of Ohio.

Granite State Challenge is funded by lead sponsor Unitil; with additional funding from NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, New Hampshire Lottery, Heinemann Publishing, Cognia, HRCU , and Manchester Community College.

Granite State Challenge features New Hampshire's top high school academic quiz teams as they demonstrate remarkable teamwork, quick thinking, and smarts to beat the clock and buzz in first on this iconic New Hampshire game show. The game emphasizes quick recall of math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts facts—along with questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and New Hampshire.

You can follow your favorite team, test your own knowledge with GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE online quizzes, and more at the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE web page or try your hand at daily brainteasers on the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE Facebook page.

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