Merrimack Meets Tilton

The Tilton Rams take on the Merrimack Tomahawks in the Granite State Championship Game 

Durham, NH (May 5, 2025) – The pressure is on! Can the Merrimack High Tomahawks make history with a third championship in a row, or will the Tilton School Rams pull off the upset in the Granite State Championship Game? The big game airs on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 8:30 p.m. on New Hampshire PBS.

Playing for the Tilton Rams team are 12th grade captain Lex Condodemetraky, 11th graders Niko Condodemetraky and Jamie Scott and 12th grader Sebastian DeVeaux, with 11th grader Turner Bottomley and 10th grader Nathaniel Colon as alternates. The Rams are coached by Spanish teacher Keelan Mackenzie, and Lauren Robinson, a social media and content specialist. The Tilton School is a private boarding school that enrolls 220 students.

As they head into the final match, the Tilton Rams are looking strong. “This is a group of six that has never won before, and we've also never lost,” said Tilton’s Turner Bottomley. “That's a group full of winners. We just need to focus and keep doing what we've been doing. We have a really good strategy.” 

The Merrimack High team is captained by 12th grader Erin Murray accompanied by 12th graders Liam MacIsaac and Maeve LaRock, and 11th grader Avis Clever. The team’s alternates are 12th grader Hikari McDowell and 11th graders Bridget Clark and Lauren Murby. The Merrimack team is coached by chemistry teacher, Dr. Sara Campbell, and physics teacher, Liz Dumais. Merrimack High has an enrollment of 1,174 students and has more championship titles than any other school. They took home the trophy in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. They lost to Portsmouth High in 2022.

“The plan is we have to stick to our game, and we have to play the questions we know, and that's all we can do,” said Merrimack’s coach Dr. Sara Campbell.

Tilton School takes on Merrimack High in the final game of GRANITE STATE SUPERCHALLENGE airing on Thursday, May 15 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 hands at daily brain teasers 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: GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is hosted by Bow High School teacher Jon Cannon.  Cannon has a long history with GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE. You might say he grew up with the game.  He was a member of the Belmont High team when he was in high school, was a member of the NHPBS GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE crew when he was in college at UNH and was the coach of the Bedford High GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE team.

About New Hampshire PBS:  New Hampshire PBS inspires Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. nhpbs.org

###

Visit the NHPBS PRESSROOM at nhpbs.org/pressroom  •  Follow NHPBS on Facebook and X

New Hampshire PBS | 268 Mast Road | Durham, NH 03824 |  603.868.1100  •  nhpbs.org

NHPBS | NHPBS EXPLORE | NH WORLD | NH CREATE | NHPBS KIDS
Digital channels 11 Durham, 34 Pittsburg, 23 Littleton, 18 Keene, 36 Hanover

Pressroom Contact

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