The Portsmouth High Clippers Prevailed Over the Kingswood Regional High Knights

Granite State Challenge

Durham, NH (February 28, 2025) - The Portsmouth Clippers bested the Kingswood Knights on Granite State Challenge in Round One, 390-190.

The Knights team included 12th grade captain Liam Moore, and 12th graders Jiner Zhuang, Samuel Keniston and Spencer Clark. Team alternates were 12th graders Eljay Sellinger-Blatt and Oliver Kolodner. English teacher John Struble was the coach of the team. Kingswood Regional High enrolls 804 students and serves the towns of Wolfeboro, Brookfield, Effingham, Ossipee, New Durham, Tuftonboro and Middleton.

The Clippers team included 12th graders captain Nolan Peters and Jack Hoium and 11th graders Iliya Ramadanovic and Aadit Noble. The Portsmouth coach was reading and writing specialist Hannah Dul, and its alternates were 11th grader Anthony Smith and 12th grader Charlie Anderson. The school enrolls 1,087 students and serves the towns of Portsmouth, Rye, Greenland, Newington and Newcastle.

ROUND ONE
In the first round, Portsmouth’s Iliya, Nolan and Jack were very quick to the buzzer, providing multiple correct answers such as “Quakers,” “Taylor Swift,” and “Mount Washington.”

“I thought we did really well tonight. We were all balanced. It wasn't just one person answering the questions, and I think that speaks to our strengths as a team,” said Portsmouth’s Jack Hoium.

Kingswood’s Spencer, Samuel and Liam also got a few correct answers on geography, poetry and pop culture, but found themselves behind, 110-40 after the Clippers strong start.

“I think the other team was faster on the buzzers. I know my guys knew a lot of the answers, but they just were not there fast enough to get them in. So, I thought they did well, I'm pleased,” said Kingswood coach Struble.

ROUND TWO – THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT
Both teams played the second round very well. Kingswood went first and got through eight questions with five correct answers before striking out.

However, Portsmouth was able to match Kingswood and also got through eight questions with five correct answers. Portsmouth team captain Nolan Peters was on fire and answered all three of his questions correctly and the round ended with Portsmouth ahead by a score of 160-90.

ROUND THREE – 60-SECOND ROUND
In the 60-Second Round alternates join their teams. Each team picks a ten-question category and has 60 seconds to answer the questions. If they answer all ten correctly, teams get a 10-point bonus. Team members can confer in the round, but the captain answers.

Kingswood got the chance to go first and pick a category because they were trailing and the Knights opted for “Rick Roll” where each answer included “rick” as a proper noun, or as part of a larger word.

With answers such as “Rick and Morty,” “Alan Rickman” and “Limerick” they got six out of ten answers in the category to gain 60 points to their score.

Portsmouth chose the category “Adams Family” in which all answers were people whose last name was Adams. Nolan relied on his team at times, but his expertise showed, and he very quickly gave correct answers such as “John Adams,” “Mayor Adams,” and “Sam Adams.”

“They did fabulous. We have a really well-rounded team” said Coach Dul. Despite Kingswood’s strong round, Portsmouth held on to a lead of 290-150.

FINAL ROUND – TOSS-UP
In the final round of the game, each correct answer is worth 20 points, but teams lose 20 points with an incorrect answer and a lead can be easily lost or gained in the round.

Portsmouth’s Jack, Aadit, Iliya and Nolan all did well in this high-stakes round as the Clippers widened their lead. “I believe our team is really well-balanced, we cover areas of science, art, history, and I think that really just speaks to how we can dominate so much,” said the Clippers Aadit Noble.

Kingswood chose their questions carefully to avoid point deductions, and Liam helped his team to gain some ground, but the Knights were unable to catch up, ultimately falling to the Clippers in a tough match-up by a final score of 390-190.

The Portsmouth Clippers now advance to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Tilton School in a game airing on Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. on NHPBS.

Catch the next episode of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE when ConVal Regional High takes on Nashua High South on Thursday, March 6th at 8:30 p.m. on NHPBS. You can also stream all the games on the PBS App, the NHPBS YouTube channel or online at nhpbs.org/gsc.

Test your knowledge with GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE online quizzes and more at the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE web page, or try your hands at daily brainteasers on the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE Facebook page.

GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is funded by lead sponsor Unitil with additional funding from Bangor Savings Bank, Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire and Aroma Joe’s.

About Host Jon Cannon: Hosted by Bow High School teacher and former GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE coach (Bedford High), contestant (Belmont High), and GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE crew member, Jon Cannon. GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE features some of New Hampshire's brightest high school students 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.