The CCHS Academic Team began their season on Monday night with a trip across our northern border to Carbondale, IL to compete as defending champions in the WSIU Scholastic Hi-Q tournament, which is televised on WSIU and aired on its website www.wsiu.org. The 32-team, single elimination tournament is in its 31st year and hosts high schools from across Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana.
The varsity quick recall team, made of Ellie Whisman, Cesar Villeda, Ethan Cain, and captain Isaac Martin (pictured L to R), drew first time competitors Alton Fortitude in the first game of the new season. In an evenly matched first half, where the score was 65-60 after the first 8 questions, the Lakers were able to pull away in the second half to secure a 450-245 win, earning an advance to the 3rd match.
The Lakers observed the second match between Effingham and Cisne, where the evenly matched teams ended with a 150-130 win for Effingham.
In the third match of the evening, the Lakers had knocked the cobwebs off their buzzers and came out of the starting gate ready to score. At the end of the first half, the Lakers had a dominating lead of 330-35. A difficult lightning round yielded them 60 more points before starting the second half, where they did not back down. At the end of the 24-question tossup/bonus match, the final score read 730-85, with the Lakers easily securing an advance to the quarterfinals in November.
The Lakers are coached by Erica Gray, Lane Springer, Margaret Richter, and Dan Thompson.
