Merrimack High Defeats the Academy for Science and Design

(DURHAM, April 5, 2020) –The Academy for Science and Design and the Tomahawks of Merrimack High in the first quarterfinal game of Granite State Challenge. The Academy of Science and Design defeated Littleton High, last season's runner-up team to make it to the quarterfinals, and Merrimack High bested Newfound Regional High to secure their spot.

The Academy for Science and Design was represented by Captain Jonah Rivers, Ella Blanchard, Derek Lechner, Shikhar Gupta and alternates Isobel Walton and Joshua Rivers. The team was coached by Douglass Belley. The Academy for Science and Design is a charter school located in Nashua. It has an enrollment of around 429 students.

Playing for the Merrimack High Tomahawks was captain Captain Scott Peyton, Alex Jobin, Troy Church, Nick Gacharna and alternates Andrew Peyton and Aidan Remick. The team was coached by Sara Campbell and Linda Mandra. Merrimack High enrolls around 1,174 students.

Merrimack played a great first round and built up a 150-40 lead. The Academy for Science and Design played with a bit more confidence and the second round ended with Merrimack holding a 290-220 lead.

The Phoenix of the Academy for Science and Design choose the category "K-Pop" and correctly identified seven out of ten musicians or musical groups with a first or last name beginning with the letter"K" missing only on the Kinks, Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keyes.

Merrimack chose the category "Mamas and the Papas" and correctly identified eight out of ten clues that referred to mothers or fathers, missing only on Moms Mabley, and Necessity is the Mother of Invention,  At the end of the round Merrimack held a lead of 370-290.

In the final round, correct answers are worth 20 points, but incorrect answers cost a team 20 points and leads can quickly flip. The Academy for  Science and Design came on strong but were not able to overcome their point deficit and Merrimack won the game with a final score of 610-430.

Merrimack now moves on to face either Nashua South or Souhegan High in the semifinals.

Granite State Challenge games were pre-recorded in January.

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.

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339