Merrimack High Meets Plymouth Regional High in a Rematch

(DURHAM, May 13, 2024) - Merrimack High meets Plymouth Regional High for the second year in a row in the Granite State Challenge championship game airing on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 7:30 pm on NHPBS. This will be a record-breaking game. Both teams have three titles. The winning team will take home an unprecedented fourth title. Merrimack High School is the defending Granite State Challenge Champion and was also the championship team in 2020 and 2021. Plymouth Regional High was the Granite State Challenge champion in 1996, 2013, and 2019. This is also the seventh time in the final game for each of the teams.

Playing for Merrimack High are captain and senior Kishan Sreenivasan joined by seniors Liam Clark and Trey Grant, and junior Erin Murray. The team alternates are junior Shelby Pennington and sophomore Avis Clever. Merrimack is coached by chemistry teacher Dr. Sara Campbell and Gifted and Talented Coordinator Sally Agel. Merrimack enrolls around 1,094 students. Merrimack High defeated Belmont High, the Academy for Science and Design, and Trinity High on their way to the championship game. 

Playing for Plymouth Regional High are the team captain and junior Reagan Sutherland, and seniors Khalil Dakhlia, Paul Mason, and senior Ethan Savage.  The team alternates are juniors, Norman Sackett and Max Shamansky. The coaches for the team are programming, drafting, and engineering teacher Jay Fogarty and Spanish teacher Troy Harris. Plymouth Regional High enrolls around 647 students from Plymouth, Ashland, Holderness, Campton, Rumney, Wentworth, Ellsworth, Waterville Valley, and Thornton. Plymouth Regional High defeated Newfound Regional High, Nashua High South, and Hopkinton High on their way to the championship 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 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.

You can follow your favorite team, 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 NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, D.F. Richard Energy, and HRCU.

Pressroom Contact

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