Published: December 10, 2009 12:00 am      

Quiz team hopes to become champs

By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

A couple of years ago, members of the Cooperstown High School Quiz Team competed in WCNY’s Double Down Quiz Show for the first time and came back champions.

This year, there is a new group of competitors. Their mission is to win it all once again after getting knocked out in the second round last year.

Double Down is a fast-paced academic competition where two Central New York high school teams face off to test their knowledge of science, math, literature, history, current events and more. According to WCNY’s website, points are given for correct answers and in the ``Double Down’’ rounds points are taken away for wrong ones. The results of the competition are known (the tapings of the show were finished Tuesday), but cannot be revealed until all episodes are aired. This much is known, Cooperstown has made it as far as the second round.

The second round match of Cooperstown verses Westville will be televised on WCNY at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 27. The competitions are also video streamed on WCNY’s website,wcny. org.

Quiz team advisers Tomas Good and Karstin Pullyblank said people will have to tune in to see weather or not the team was able to become champions once again.

``One thing I can say is I am pretty proud of these guys and girl,’’ said Good, who has been advising the team for 39 years.

Good said his team members have worked well together and have listened when talking about strategies.

``Chances are you are going to lose more than you win because there are 32 schools in the competition,’’ said Good. ``It is just a game, not a we won, you didn’t type of situation.’’

CCS has two high school quiz teams, an A team and a B team, that it usually sends to competitions. However, only five students can participate in Double Down. This year’s participants include seniors Virginia Ofer, Connor Adsit Henry Bauer and Wylie Phillips and junior Michael Leonardo. All of the members are new except Leonardo.

Good said instead of getting out the buzzers and having a competition for team tryouts, he handed out a written exam instead.

The top five were selected to compete in the Double Down competition, according to Good.

We really had to put the team together quickly this year because the competition was scheduled earlier than in the past, said Good.

We had to get students interested swiftly because all but one member graduated, he added.

``We have been pleasantly pleased with the team’s success,’’ said Good. According to Good, three students are able to participate in each round. He said he makes sure each student gets on air at least once so parents and grandparents can see them on television. The decision of who gets to play is determined by each student’s confidence level and performance, said Good.

Adsit said the first faceoff was nerve-racking because the team found itself behind leading up to the last question. However, the last question went in the teams favor.

Bauer said he found it intimidating to see himself on the television screen at first.

``You are on TV,’’ he said.

``That’s a pretty big deal.’’

Phillips said he did not think being on television was that big of a deal.

``It’s just a competition,’’ he said.

Adsit said he also found it a bit daunting having to compete against students from schools that are much larger than Cooperstown.

Phillips however was a little more laid back. He said, ``They are just kids just like us. They are just from bigger schools. That does not make them any smarter.’’

Phillips said competing is something he looks forward to.

He said being a member of the team is fun because all the members are good friends and it gives them a good excuse to hang out. Team members said they mostly practice for each match on their way to competition. However, they said it is hard to study for such a broad range of questions that might come up.

The team has a book of questions they carry on the bus with them to assist with their studies.

The high school quiz teams also compete in the Leatherstocking Cup competition at Unatego Central School, the Tompkins- Cortland Community College High School Challenge at TC3 and the CASSC Upstate Academic Competition at SUNY Oneonta.