UPPER BURRELL, Pa. — Earning its fifth WEDIG Quiz Bowl championship in the past six years, Burrell High School staked its claim as a well-versed juggernaut and academic dynasty in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
The Bucs fended off a late run by runner-up Franklin Regional High School March 15 at Penn State New Kensington to successfully “three-peat” and capture the 2016 title with an undefeated record.
Burrell went 7-0 with 53 points — or correct answers — over the four-month season. Franklin Regional, which won the silver medal, fell to the Bucs in the third round, 7-4. The loss was the only blemish on the Panthers' otherwise stellar 6-1 record. Armstrong High School took the bronze with a 4-3 record and 30 points.
The victorious squad, under the direction of coach Bob Campbell, included seniors Emma Hough, Chris Phillips and Louis Yank; junior Alex Romano; and sophomore Drew Murphy. Hough was selected as Burrell’s Most Valuable Player. Hough, Murphy, Phillips and Romano anchored the team a year ago.
The Quiz Bowl was founded in 1997 as an academic competition among eight area high schools: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Freeport, Ford City, Kiski Area, Kittanning, Leechburg and Valley. Ford City and Kittanning merged this year to become Armstrong, and Franklin Regional was added to keep the competition at eight schools.
In the round-robin, match-play format, teams of five students are asked a series of 20 questions. The first player to buzz in with the correct answer earns a point for the team. The team with the most points or correct answers in the head-to-head competition wins the match. Match record determines the champion. Points are accumulated during each match, and the total is used as a tiebreaker.
The history of the Quiz Bowl is peppered with mini-dynasties. Freeport won four of five titles from 2006-10, and Kiski Area accomplished the same feat from 2001-05. Kiski Area is still the standard by which the other schools are measured. The Cavaliers have won the tournament a record nine times.
The event is sponsored by Westmoreland Economic Development Initiative for Growth, better known as WEDIG, and the New Kensington campus. WEDIG is an organization of more than 100 business and government officials who work together to achieve economic growth and global competitiveness through private-public partnerships. Kevin Snider, chancellor of the New Kensington campus, spearheaded the establishment of the group in 2009 to foster quality development in communities throughout the county. Members come from five Alle-Kiski municipalities: Allegheny Township, Arnold, Lower Burrell, New Kensington and Upper Burrell. Snider organized WEDIG into committees that deal with five issues: infrastructure; education and training; quality of life; business and investment; and health, wellness and spirituality. Penn State New Kensington students serve as interns to help each committee.
For more information, contact Kathy Starr at 724-845-8789 or kathrich15656@yahoo.com.