Merrimack Meets Plymouth Regional High

(DURHAM, May 9, 2023) - Merrimack High meets Plymouth Regional High in the Granite State Challenge championship game. This is not the first time the two teams have met in the championship game, they went head-to-head in 2020. Merrimack took the trophy home that year and went on to win the championship game against Bow High in 20201. Plymouth was the champion in 2019 defeating Littleton High, in 2013 they bested Hanover High for the title, and in 1996 they defeated Woodsville High.  

Playing for Merrimack High is senior and team captain Jack Pikora. Jack is joined by seniors Rainier Murray, Aris Corman-O’Reilly, and Alli Pikora. The team alternates are juniors Kishan Sreenivasan, Trey Grant, and Liam Clark. Merrimack is coached by Sara Campbell and Sally Agel. Merrimack enrolls around 1,119 students. Merrimack High defeated John Stark, Souhegan High, and Hopkinton High on their way to the finals.

Captain and senior Dash Ough, junior Khalil Dakhlia, senior Natalie Boyer, and senior Trevor Tobine are playing for Plymouth Regional High. The team alternates are senior Jason Vuong and sophomore Reagan Sutherland. The team is coached by Jay Fogarty and Troy Harris. Plymouth Regional High enrolls around 647 students from Plymouth, Ashland, Holderness, Campton, Rumney, Wentworth, Warren, Ellsworth, Waterville Valley, and Thornton.  Plymouth Regional High defeated Salem High, Bow High, and Trinity High to make it to the final game.

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 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 hands at daily brainteasers on the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE Facebook page.

GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is funded by lead sponsor Unitil; with additional funding from NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, The New Hampshire Lottery, D.F. Richard Energy, Cognia, and HRCU.

Pressroom Contact

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