Bow High Takes on Plymouth Regional High on the Next Granite State Challenge

Durham, NH (April 20, 2026) - The Bow High Falcons go head-to-head with the Bobcats of Plymouth Regional High in a GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, April 23rd at 8:30 p.m. on New Hampshire PBS.

Captained by 12th-grader Matthew Kropp, the Falcon’s starting lineup includes 11^th grader Matthew Mampuzha, and 9th-graders, Ollie White and Max Lewis. The team’s alternates are 9th-grader Anna Mampuzha and 11th-grader Jayden Kropiewnicki. Coached by Michelle Hlavaz, the Falcons represent a school of 650 students in Merrimack County serving the communities of Bow and Dunbarton. Bow High School advanced to the final game in 2021, where they fell to Merrimack High.

Looking ahead to the third quarterfinal game, Bow captain Matthew Kropp likes his team’s chances. “I think we're definitely the underdogs here, but I think we have a strong chance of winning it,” said Matthew.

The Bow team took a different approach preparing for the next round, including competitive games against the Bow principal and faculty. Coach Michelle Hlavaz is confident in the team’s mindset. “I think they're excited,” she said. “They know that Plymouth is a tough competitor and we're just going to do our best.”

The Plymouth Bobcats feature a strong core of competitors. 11th-grader Team captain, Abe Hanken, an 11^th grader, is joined by fellow 11th-graders Yuriy Paul and Ezra Amsden and 9th-grader Aurora Ricker. Supporting the team are alternates, Leif Eisenbarth, a 10th-grader and 9^th graders Cam Cawley and Olivia Brayfield.  The Bobcats are coached by Jay Fogarty, a drafting teacher, and Troy Harris, a world languages teacher. Plymouth Regional High enrolls 640 students in Grafton County that serves Plymouth, Ashland, Holderness, Campton, Rumney, Wentworth, Ellsworth, Waterville Valley, and Thornton. Plymouth Regional High School is a three-time GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE champion, winning titles in 1996, 2013, and 2019 and has appeared in the final match in 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2024.

With the momentum from their recent win, the Plymouth Bobcats ramped up their practices as they prepared for the quarterfinal matchup. Plymouth captain Abe Hankens reflected on his team’s spirit.  “I like hanging out with my team,” said Abe. “We have a great team this year. Last year I was here with a team of all seniors and now they're all gone. So, it's pretty fun having a whole new team here this year.”

Plymouth coach Jay Fogarty remarked on the team’s different makeup this year. “We have three freshmen on the team this year, which is fantastic for the future,” said Fogarty. “And it's an evenly matched male and female team, which we've never had before either.”

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 23rd 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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