North Cobb’s Quiz Bowl team arrived Saturday, September 9, at Walton High School for their first competition of the year. A tournament reserved for Cobb County High School academic teams, the contest served as a qualifier for the local television show, Hi-Q; the first-place team gained the honor of competing on the program, introducing higher than usual stakes for the first outing of the season.

“I thought it was well-run,” team sponsor Jordan Tidrick said. “I thought [the team] did a really good job. I was very proud.”

Although failing to land the sought-after spot on Hi-Q, NC’s team chalked up a respectable record of 2 wins to 3 losses. The day began with a loss to fellow international Magnet school Campbell, a disappointment given NC’s success against Campbell in the past. NC faced defeat again to Wheeler, almost undoubtedly the powerhouse of the day, before achieving memorable wins against rivals Lassiter and Kennesaw Mountain.

“I feel like since we only had three people during our meet, with more people we’d beat the best team,” freshman and first-time team member Joseph Jenkins said.

The Warriors’ final match ended in a narrow loss to hosts and longtime local legends, Walton. Although NC held a strong lead against the Walton Raiders in the timed toss-up questions, Walton’s success in the bonus questions gave them the edge they needed to win. The final score stood at 285 points for NC to 295 for Walton, an encouraging result for the Warriors against a team known for its historical domination of Cobb Quiz Bowl.

“I think it was a strong start, especially in the scores against the two top-scoring teams,” Tidrick said.

Wheeler left the tournament undefeated, with a sparkling 5-0 record; Walton followed them in second place, with Campbell taking third. The Wheeler Wildcats will therefore move on to the televised competition on Hi-Q. For the Warriors, however, the day’s successes, particularly their strong point record against historic powerhouse Walton, held promise for the season to come.