The ConVal Cougars Face the Profile Patriots on the Next Granite State Challenge

QUARTERFINALS

Durham, NH (April 13, 2026) - The ConVal Cougars take on the Profile Patriots in the next quarterfinal game of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE on Thursday, April 16th at 8:30 p.m. on New Hampshire PBS.

The ConVal Cougars bring a balanced mix of experience and emerging talent to the competition. The team is captained by 12th-grader Ben Michaud and 9th-grader Ben Ferrisi, along with 11th-graders Vincent Hollenbeck and Iris Palmer. Supporting the lineup as alternates are 11th-graderMarcus Jordan and 10th-grader Colin Maybury. The Cougars are coached by Social Studies teachers Eric Bowman and Chris Heider. ConVal enrolls 630 students in Hillsborough County and serves the towns of Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Peterborough, Sharon and Temple. ConVal Regional High played in the first season of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE in 1984. 

Keenly aware that in this next round they will face a more talented team, ConVal captain Ben Michaud reflects on the team's strategy. “We’re just looking to stay quick on the buzzer and not get into our own heads,” said Ben. “I love hanging out with the team and going to practice, it’s a fun experience.”

Asked how the ConVal team’s readiness is going into the quarterfinals, coach Eric Bowman thinks they are ready. “We have a freshman, sophomore, junior and a senior on the team,” said Bowman. “It’s a nice mix of experience and youth and they just really get along well and have a great time together.”

The Profile Patriots are led by 12th-grader captain Maddie Perkins and features a lineup of fellow seniors Moses Rolfe, Wyatt Wright and Raiden Valentine. The team’s alternates are 12th-grader Marcus Hamilton and 11th-grader Leah MacElhiney. The Patriots are coached by school counselor Jill Brewer and Social Studies teacher Paul Savard, representing a school of 130 students in Grafton County that serves the communities of Bethlehem, Easton, Franconia and Sugar Hill.

Heading into the quarterfinals as one of the smallest schools competing, Profile team captain Maddie Perkins said the team was feeling a bit more amped up after their latest win, but knew they had to keep bringing their A game.

“As a smaller school in the north country, we don’t get to do as many fun things as the bigger southern schools,” said Maddie. The Profile team is seen as an underdog and advancing to the next round is a sweet reward for all their hard work. “We don’t have tryouts. The amount of people that we have here is basically everybody on the trivia team in totality. But with bigger schools, they have a wider net to cast.”

Profile coach Jill Brewer knows her team has strengths in history, art, culture and politics covered. “I feel that we’re strong across the board,” said Brewer. “We don’t rely on one player, which is really nice, and we work really well as a team.”

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.

Catch the next game on GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE, Thursday, April 16th at 8:30 p.m. on NHPBS. You can also stream it 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 hand at daily brain teasers on the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE Facebook page.

GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is funded by lead sponsor Unitil with additional funding from Safety Insurance and NEA New Hampshire.

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TV Schedule

• bedford VS nashua south
  Granite State Challenge
  Thursday, 4/16 at 3:30 P.M. on EXPLORE
  
  

• conval VS profile
  Granite State Challenge
  Thursday, 4/16 at 8:30 P.M. on NHPBS
  
  

• bedford VS nashua south
  Granite State Challenge
  Friday, 4/17 at 4:30 A.M. on EXPLORE
  
  

• conval VS profile
  Granite State Challenge
  Sunday, 4/19 at 6:30 P.M. on NHPBS
  
  

Full Schedule