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HSNCT RECAP: Chargers Make Sunday Playoffs For 4th Time, Cap Strongest-Ever NCT Season For Nevada
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The Clark Chargers helped make a little bit of Nevada Quiz Bowl history as they made the Sunday playoffs and finished tied for 60th place at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament in Atlanta, Georgia.
It was the fourth time the Chargers made the playoffs, the most by any HS team in Nevada. Their appearance also marked the first time Nevada had two HS teams represent the Silver State at NAQT National Championship Tournament Sunday playoffs in the same season. Last month, The Meadows reached the playoffs at the Small School NCT. The 2022 state runners-up competed this past weekend with a slate of 3 seniors (Blu Mehari, Angus Preston, Erqiang Sun) and 1 sophomore (Parth Joshi). They also took on the field without the services of their coach, Chuck Bean, who retired from coaching last month (our tribute to his career is below this post). For this tournament, teams played 10 preliminary matches, needing a minimum of 6 wins to advance to the playoffs. The Chargers began in fine fashion with a 365-95 win over Franklin. They kept the momentum going with a 275-205 win over Mission San Jose to improve to 2-0. With NAQT using the card system, the Chargers were pretty much guaranteed to play teams that had either an identical record or a 1-game difference. At 2-0, separation usually starts to occur. Enter Buffalo Grove. They defeated Clark 695-35. Fortunately for the Chargers, though, their veteran squad is very skilled at not letting a disappointing result affect the next game. Sure enough, Clark more than rebounded to win their next 3 games in a row (Stanton College Prep B, Thomas Jefferson D, Stanford Online) to improve their mark to 5-1. Heading into their final match on Saturday, the Chargers could clinch a playoff spot with a win over Carmel A. Instead, fatigue set in during a 455-265 loss. Finishing the day at 5-2, Clark needed to win one of their final three games on Sunday morning to reach 6 wins. They did exactly that. After a 285-115 early morning loss to Raleigh Charter, the Chargers nailed down a playoff berth in their ninth game on the final tossup against Maggie Walker, a 270-210 victory. A close 295-220 loss to Ithaca in Game 10 rounded out the schedule, and Clark awaited their playoff seeding with a 6-4 record. Since the Chargers finished with 6 wins, it meant any single loss in the afternoon would eliminate them from contention. (Teams who won 7 or more earned the benefit of having a double elimination instead.) Clark drew Hoover B out of the gate, and Blu Mehari practically controlled the match on her own from start to finish. Her 1-7-0 line for 85 points easily outpaced all scorers as Clark rolled to a 380-165 win. Their next opponent was the formidable hometown team, Midtown High School. The first half of the match was a back-and-forth affair, but it all broke wide open in the second half when Midtown powered 4 consecutive times as part of a stretch that saw them get 8 out of 10 tossups. When the clock expired after T21, the Chargers season ended with a 370-155 loss. They finished the weekend with a highly respectable 7-5 record against a meat grinder of a field. The Chargers have no reason at all to hang their heads. This tournament also marked the end of a stellar 4-year run for Blu Mehari. Essentially a protege of Eshaan Vakil, Mehari finished this tournament in 93rd place in the individual standings. She ends her run with multiple All-State and All-Conference Tournament 1st team honors, and she exits as the second highest-scoring individual in LVQBA history. Should she continue to play in college, she'll be a phenomenal asset to her new team. Where Does Clark Go From Here? You can't help but feel like there's a turning point ahead for the program after this weekend. With Chuck Bean stepping down and Blu Mehari graduating, Clark is potentially looking at a rebuild (at least by their own standards) for the first time in LVQBA history. However, with Parth Joshi set to become an upperclassman next year, he brings a critical amount of experience to a team who will have several players new to pyramidal-style Quiz Bowl. Given their caliber of faculty, student, and coursework, though, it's really hard to imagine Clark taking that big of a step back. The school churns out top Quiz Bowl players more frequently than any HS in Nevada. There's no reason to think that will stop anytime soon. |
Clark
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Chuck Bean Retires From Coaching, Exits With All-Time Highest Winning Percentage In Nevada
Clark Chargers head coach Chuck Bean has called it a career, at least for coaching. In his seven years at the helm of the Chargers, Bean compiled a smorgasbord of records that will be nearly impossible to top, including:
When he took over for Beth Isaacs, Bean inherited a program that had become well-known for its consistent success in the Clark County School District's Varsity Quiz league. Since he began coaching the Chargers, Bean took the program from being a local titan to a national contender. Thanks to his efforts, Clark can now claim several accolades in LVQBA, Varsity Quiz, Nevada History Bee and Bowl, and Science Bowl competitions, among several others. His retirement signals the exit of a true ally to national-style programs here in Nevada.
All of us at the LVQBA wish Chuck the best and send our most heartfelt congratulations on a spectacular career. While Chuck will not be with Clark this weekend at HSNCT, we know his program will perform at the highest levels just like they always have for him. While the newest chapter in Nevada Quiz Bowl is going to be written in August, Bean's career will always serve as a constant reminder of just how good that Clark program was, is, and will be.
- 5 NAQT Nevada State championships
- An .882 winning percentage in NAQT-style matches (224-30 record)
- 6 LVQBA regular season championships
- 6 LVQBA conference tournament championships
- 4 appearances at HSNCT
When he took over for Beth Isaacs, Bean inherited a program that had become well-known for its consistent success in the Clark County School District's Varsity Quiz league. Since he began coaching the Chargers, Bean took the program from being a local titan to a national contender. Thanks to his efforts, Clark can now claim several accolades in LVQBA, Varsity Quiz, Nevada History Bee and Bowl, and Science Bowl competitions, among several others. His retirement signals the exit of a true ally to national-style programs here in Nevada.
All of us at the LVQBA wish Chuck the best and send our most heartfelt congratulations on a spectacular career. While Chuck will not be with Clark this weekend at HSNCT, we know his program will perform at the highest levels just like they always have for him. While the newest chapter in Nevada Quiz Bowl is going to be written in August, Bean's career will always serve as a constant reminder of just how good that Clark program was, is, and will be.
MSNCT RECAP: Mustangs And Falcons Shine In 1st Appearance, Flirt With Sunday Playoffs In Final Match
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It would have been extremely tough for any team in Nevada to top what happened at SSNCT two weeks ago, but two Las Vegas middle schools are still making the state take notice after how they performed at the NAQT Middle School National Championship Tournament.
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas-Sandy Ridge and The Meadows School both made their first appearances at MSNCT on May 7th. It was long overdue as both schools were set to represent the Silver State in 2020 before the COVID shutdown. After waiting two years to finally get that opportunity, the Mustangs and the Falcons nearly made it a historic weekend as both teams went 4-4 in preliminary play. Here are some of the highlights for both teams from the past weekend. CASLV Sandy Ridge The reigning Nevada state champions brought a roster of five 8th graders to Rosemont--Theo Perez, Daniel Obstgarten, Beda Herman, Simar Jolly, and Abdul Makda. Their best match of the day came during their fifth round, sitting at 2-2 on the day. The Falcons faced BASIS Austin (Texas), and the match was especially critical because, at the time, Sandy Ridge could still make the playoffs by winning three of their final four matches. Understanding the urgency, Daniel Obstgarten turned in his finest performance of the day (and possibly his entire season). Obstgarten posted a 1-7-0 for 85 points, helping the Falcons to a 445-95 victory. Providing timely support were Theo Perez (1-2-0, 35 pts.) and Abdul Makda (1-2-0, 35 pts.). The win pushed the Falcons to 3-2 on the day. Perez had an outstanding day, too. He put together an 8-28-1 line over the 8 matches, good for 395 points and a top-50 finish overall in the nation. He ranked the highest not just on his own team but out of all Nevada students who competed this weekend. It was the highest finish for any Nevada middle school student since Eshaan Vakil's 7th-place finish in 2016 when he played for Hyde Park. Perez now turns his sights to high school, where he will be joined by Obstgarten for what promises to be an exciting four-year run. The Meadows The Mustangs came to Rosemont on the heels of their high school team's knockout performance at SSNCT two weeks prior. The 2022 state runners-up brought five 8th graders (Sam Vinocur, Emma Chu, Chanel Cruz, Skylen Lundquist, and Steven Tian) and one 6th grader (Colin Chu). Like the Falcons, their best match of the day also came during their fifth round, sitting at 2-2 overall. The Mustangs drew Sunset Ridge from north suburban Illinois. Needing to win three of the final four matches, the Mustang attack was both balanced and relentless. Sam Vinocur went 0-7-0 (70 pts.), Colin Chu posted 0-6-0 (60 pts.), and his older sister Emma scratched out a 1-2-0 (35 pts.). In total, The Meadows took 16 of the 23 tossups in the match, en route to the 435-155 win. The victory brought their record to 3-2 at the time. The story of the day for individual performances definitely belonged to Colin Chu. The 6th grader turned in totals of 9-21-4 (325 pts.) to finish in the top 100 overall. He was one of only five 6th graders to place in the top 100 on the day. If there were all-tournament teams by grade level, he would have easily made the list. What It All Means For The Future The last time any middle school from Nevada made the Sunday playoffs was 2016, when Hyde Park got there largely in part because of Eshaan Vakil. That performance remains the highest finish for any Nevada school as well. If seasons in Nevada continue to occur like this one, though, there will certainly be some new names to add to the list in the very near future. While both schools will need to rebuild given the high population of 8th graders on their teams, it is strikingly clear that these programs are superb when it comes to developing talent. Given some more time, both of these schools can easily be playing on Sunday as early as next year. Their respective high schools also have plenty of reason to be excited as the vast majority of this weekend's talent will enroll in 9th grade next year. Let the growth continue in Nevada. |
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Falcons
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SSNCT RECAP: Expectations Surpassed, Mustangs Reach Sunday Playoffs With Historic Run
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Until this past weekend, Nevada was a state known for having only one team make Sunday playoffs at an NCT (Clark). Today, that list has a new entry. The Meadows Mustangs, represented by Ben Vinocur, Lawrence Zhang, Kyra Bucknam, and Brinley Belding, outperformed even the most realistic of expectations to finish with a 7-6 record, a Sunday playoff berth, and a tie for the 11th best small school in the nation. After being eliminated with a loss to Tower Hill, coach Tom Garvey could do nothing but beam about the phenomenal showing by his squad.
Here's a quick list of Meadows firsts that were piled up this weekend:
For quite a while, though, the run looked to be in doubt. Calling their Saturday matches a rollercoaster doesn't do justice to their 10-game thrill ride. Needing to go at least 6-4 in order to qualify for Sunday, there was a litany of moments from the weekend that anyone can point to and say, "That one right there. That's why they did it." Any of these moments on their own are a perfect microcosm of the Mustangs' season, too. However, when taken together, they tell a remarkable story of perseverance in the face of fatigue and inexperience. Here are the 9 most important moments from the weekend for the team who makes its home on Scholar Lane. Moment #1
Moment #2
Moment #3
Moment #4
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The Meadows School
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Moment #5
Moment #6
Moment #7
Moment #8
Now here's where a choice had to be made. With the clock under 2 minutes, the Mustangs had a choice:
The Meadows opted for Choice #2. It's the classic golf analogy--an average Joe playing against Tiger Woods is not going to be better over all 18 holes. However, in any given moment, they might be able to be better on just one hole.
Thanks to some well-executed stalling, the Mustangs bled the clock to ensure T20 would be the final question. If they were the better team for just one more question, they could spring the monster upset. Enter Lawrence Zhang. A Zhang 10 and a team 20 on the bonus ran out the dying seconds. When the horn sounded, the scoreboard showed Meadows 265, Early College Guilford 235. A truly remarkable upset authored by the 2022 Nevada State Champions. With the win, The Meadows improved to 7-5, guaranteeing a top-15 finish.
Moment #9
Stunningly, the team with no nationals experience had gone to Chicago and returned home tied as the 11th-best small school quiz bowl team in the nation. The scary part? All four players return next year. Vinocur's only a sophomore. Bucknam, Belding, and Zhang are only juniors. This entire crew gets one more ride together in 2023. Start dreaming big, Nevada. These horsies can run.
- Match 8 vs. Oklahoma School of Science and Math (OK)
- The Moment: Tossup 9
Moment #6
- Match 9 vs. St. Paul Academy (MN)
- The Moment: Tossup 20
Moment #7
- Match 10 vs. Young Women's Leadership Academy B (TX)
- The Moment: The Whole Match
Moment #8
- Playoff Round #2 vs. Early College Guilford A (NC)
- The Moment: Tossup 19
Now here's where a choice had to be made. With the clock under 2 minutes, the Mustangs had a choice:
- Choice #1--Play at their normal pace and try to extend the game with more cycles just in case Early College Guilford took back the lead.
- Choice #2--They could try and run the clock down as far as possible and make the whole match come down to just one more tossup.
The Meadows opted for Choice #2. It's the classic golf analogy--an average Joe playing against Tiger Woods is not going to be better over all 18 holes. However, in any given moment, they might be able to be better on just one hole.
Thanks to some well-executed stalling, the Mustangs bled the clock to ensure T20 would be the final question. If they were the better team for just one more question, they could spring the monster upset. Enter Lawrence Zhang. A Zhang 10 and a team 20 on the bonus ran out the dying seconds. When the horn sounded, the scoreboard showed Meadows 265, Early College Guilford 235. A truly remarkable upset authored by the 2022 Nevada State Champions. With the win, The Meadows improved to 7-5, guaranteeing a top-15 finish.
Moment #9
- Playoff Round #3 vs. Tower Hill (DE)
- The Moment: Tossup 21
Stunningly, the team with no nationals experience had gone to Chicago and returned home tied as the 11th-best small school quiz bowl team in the nation. The scary part? All four players return next year. Vinocur's only a sophomore. Bucknam, Belding, and Zhang are only juniors. This entire crew gets one more ride together in 2023. Start dreaming big, Nevada. These horsies can run.
From Left to Right: Lawrence Zhang (11th), Brinley Belding (11th), Coach Tom Garvey, Ben Vinocur (10th), Kyra Bucknam (11th)
HS STATE RECAP: Hey! Must Be The Mustangs! The Meadows Wins First-Ever State Title, Ends 5-Year Run For Clark
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1,834 days.
If you stuck around to the bitter end of the University Peak NAQT Nevada State Tournament, you saw something that hasn't happened in over 5 calendar years--a team from Nevada figured out how to overcome the juggernaut from Clark High School. The fact that The Meadows Mustangs did it twice in one day made the occasion truly historic for them. In a gripping 2-game advantaged final, The Meadows captured their first-ever state title by winning the decider, 330-275. Recaps are posted below the links to the scoretrackers. Note: The Middle School Division recap can be found directly beneath the HS recap. |
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ROUND-BY-ROUND SCORETRACKERS
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The Nevada State tournament has built a reputation for wild swings and unpredictable results. This year's event was no exception.
After some early preliminary pool excitement that required multiple 10-cycle playoffs in the Frontier Division, the main event truly began. Coming into Round 6, both The Meadows and Clark held 5-0 records. The need for an advantaged final was already assured, but the winner would hold a crucial 1-game lead in the standings. The teams basically traded powers and 10s for the first half of the match. At the midway point of the packet, The Meadows held a slim 185-175 lead. Clark jumped ahead on a power from Blu Mehari and a bonus 20 to go up 210-185. The Meadows answered with a power from Lawrence Zhang, a 10 from Ben Vinocur, and a power from Vinocur to retake the lead at 275-210. As the match wound down, the teams continued to trade, with the Chargers closing the gap slightly but not enough in time as the Mustangs won 355-325, taking the critical 1-game advantage into the final. For the longest time in Game 1, it looked like The Meadows would salt it away. Thanks a 2-4-0 line (70 pts.) from Vinocur, the Mustangs led 320-195 with 5 tossups left in the packet and the clock winding down. What followed was one of the greatest comebacks statistically in tournament history. Knowing their run was in danger of ending, the Chargers took 4 of the final 5 tossups, with Blu Mehari turning in an absolutely heroic trio of powers on the final 3 tossups. Clark took 7 of the 9 bonus parts and won Game 1, 350-320. They also forced the first-ever decider in State Tournament history. Most teams might be demoralized after losing a game like that and coming so close to their first title. The Meadows, however, showed more resilience than they ever have all season long. Shrugging off the Game 1 loss, they came out trading blow for blow with the 5-time champions. Halfway through the packet, Clark led 145-130. The second half of the packet showcased one of the most balanced performances of the season. Rather than relying on Vinocur to provide the spark, the trio of Lawrence Zhang, Rahul Mukhopadhyay, and Kyra Bucknam all came through in huge fashion. Mukhopadhyay (2-3-0, 60) started the run by getting 3 of the next 4 tossups. Some tough bonus parts prevented a larger lead, though, as The Meadows went ahead 200-145. Then it was Zhang's turn to get the next 2, followed by a Vinocur power. This time, Bucknam and Vinocur found the bonuses more to their liking, pushing the lead to 90 points at 285-175 with 5 tossups to go. Mehari powered to get the Chargers within one cycle at 275-230 when timeout was called. The clock showed 2:32 remaining. In true bookending fashion, Mukhopadhyay finished the match by powering and 10'ing the next 2 tossups to put the match out of reach and secure a new residence for the State Champion trophy. The final score: The Meadows 330, Clark 275. For The Meadows, it is their first-ever title. For Clark, it ends a run of 5 consecutive championships, a streak that will be remembered for quite some time. Now the focus shifts to Nationals for both teams. For the first time since 2017, a new state champion will represent Nevada at an NCT. It may be too soon to tell exactly what all of the day's events mean for Nevada Quiz Bowl; however, a new chapter has most definitely been written. |
The Meadows School
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MS STATE RECAP: Up They Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder, Falcons Win First-Ever State Title
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There's something to be said for the kind of preparation you get by playing against tougher competition all season long. No team believes that more right now than the Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Falcons, who are bringing home the first-ever state title to the Sandy Ridge campus.
After playing all season long in the HS division against more seasoned competition, the Falcons took that experience to heart and ran the table, finishing a perfect 6-0 with matches rarely ever being in doubt. Recaps are posted below the links to the scoretrackers. |
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ROUND-BY-ROUND SCORETRACKERS
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During the regular season, it was clear that the CASLV Falcons had plenty of young talent. However, it was hard to tell just how good they were because they didn't get much of a chance to showcase their skills when playing against teams with players who were 3-4 years older. A key thing to remember about Quiz Bowl is that a final score doesn't necessarily reflect just what a team knows. It could also be a question of speed. If a team knows all of the answers but can't get ahead on the buzzer, the numbers won't reflect the raw knowledge.
So as the Falcons took some tough losses against top high school competition, they looked at the matches as an opportunity to learn and grow against some of the best high schools in the state. By the time the State Tournament arrived, they opted to play at their own level in the Middle School Division. Based on the final scores from all of their matches, it's clear the Falcons understood the assignment. As soon as the first tossup was read in the first round of the day, the Falcons were off and running. Daniel Obstgarten (3-4-0, 85) and Theo Perez (0-4-1, 35) took 6 of the first 10 tossups as CASLV led the regular season champions from The Meadows 230-105 at halftime. Obstgarten scored 4 more times in the 2nd half to help the Falcons close out Round 1, 340-200. That result ended up being a clear omen for how things would go for the rest of the field all day long. Round 2 was more of the same. Obstgarten posted a 1-6-1 line for 70. Theo Perez, Beda Herman, and Simar Jolly pitched on several bonuses, and the Falcons defeated Lone Mountain 315-190. Round 3 was where the Falcons really hit their stride as all 4 players cracked the tossup column in a balanced effort over Faith Lutheran, 430-105. With the first round robin completed, CASLV sat atop the standings and led all statistical categories by a decent-enough margin over the 2nd place Mustangs. The Falcons knew if they could beat The Meadows again AND run the table, there would be no need for an advantaged final. The Mustangs came into the Round 4 matchup knowing they absolutely had to beat CASLV to stay alive. Halfway through the packet, The Meadows led 215-190. For the first time all day, CASLV was playing from behind. Here was where the lessons from the regular season showed their value. As fatigue began to creep into the field, Obstgarten would have none of it. He took 5 of the final 12 tossups, pushing the Falcons ahead by about 80 points. It was a margin that stayed consistent for the remainder of the match, which ended 405-325. A huge hurdle had been cleared. Round 5 was another resounding victory over Lone Mountain, 415-165. And this time, Obstgarten didn't have to shoulder the load as Theo Perez spelled him with a 1-8-1 (95 pts.) line. That brief rest turned out to help quite a bit. In Round 6, with everyone starting to get tired, CASLV gutted out a 195-90 win over Faith Lutheran to capture the championship and a perfect 6-0 record. After coming so close to winning a regular season title 2 years ago, the Falcons had finally surpassed that mark. Their championship qualifies them for the Middle School National Championships. Indeed, the future for their high school program looks exceedingly bright. |
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas
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2022 Conference Tournament Recap: Chargers Claim 6th Straight Title
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Ask any Clark Charger who has played in the LVQBA, and they can all give you the same itinerary for every Conference Tournament weekend--take care of business in the first three rounds, then wait for the rest of the field to serve up the 2nd finalist.
Clark rode that formula to victory once again as they went 4-0 and took home the 2022 LVQBA Conference Tournament Championship. They defeated a very tough Faith Lutheran team in the Finals 480-190. The Crusaders had to work hard just to reach the finals in the first place, defeating the eventual 4th place (Liberty) and 3rd place (The Meadows) finishers. After a hot start from Faith Lutheran in the Finals (they led 55-0 after 2 cycles), Clark got 3 straight powers to go up 95-55. Parth Joshi secured 2 of them, and Blu Mehari took care of the third. By the end of their own hot streak, Clark powered 4 out of 5 questions to lead 160-55 after 7 cycles. Nate Allison gave a resounding answer for the Crusaders, taking the next 2 tossups and helping close the gap to 55 (160-105). But Clark closed the half strong with another power from Joshi to take a 235-125 halftime lead. Knowing they needed to play aggressively, the Crusaders opened the half with 2 of the first 3 tossups, 1 from Allison and 1 from Luke Baker. Joshi powered yet again for the Chargers to bring the lead back to 120 points (290-170 after 16). After that, it was all Clark to the end of the line. 5 tossups in a row put the match out of reach, resulting in the 480-190 finish. |
Clark
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Week 5 Recap: Chargers Sweep Finals, Earn Right To The Title of...Hexachampions?
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To the surprise of no one, drama always finds it way into the proceedings at the ends of our round robins. Normally, the rivalry matchups alone provide all kinds of entertainment. Today was no exception, but statistical tiebreakers decided they wanted part of the fun, too. When the dust settled, the Clark Chargers won their sixth consecutive LVQBA Finals in a 2-0 sweep of The Meadows (who advanced by a slim PPTH margin over Faith Lutheran A). Both the Chargers and Mustangs have qualified for the 2021 NAQT HSNCT, and they will be the top 2 seeds at the LVQBA Conference Tournament in January.
In the Middle School Division, The Meadows had already clinched the championship. However, we still had to find out if they could run the table. The matter of 2nd and 3rd place also needed to be determined. In the end, the Mustangs finished off a perfect season, going 10-0 with 2 final victories over Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain. The final match of the season then determined who would finish as runners-up. Lone Mountain claimed victory there and earned their highest-ever finish in league history. Recaps are posted below. |
Clark
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HS Finals Recap--Clark Pulls Away Late In Two Tight Matches
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Game 1 of the LVQBA Finals started unlike any previous iteration, with the underdog Mustangs powering the first three tossups. Ben Vinocur (4-3-1, 85) helped stoke his team to the early lead. He almost made it four straight tossups after a Blu Mehari neg-5 on T4, but he wasn't able to come up with the right answer.
At that point, Mehari and her teammates took a deep breath and refocused. It worked about as well as it could. Mehari (3-6-2, 95) took 5 of the next 6 tossups. Parth Joshi was able to tally a 10 as well for Clark towards the end of Mehari's run, and the Chargers led 180-130 at halftime. The teams traded tossups for most of the 2nd half and also traded neg-5s at one point. Clark eventually stretched the lead to 100 after T17 and milked away the final 7 to take Game 1. Game 2 started off as a polar opposite from Game 1. This time, Clark took the first 3 tossups, The Meadows negged T2, and the Chargers led by 105 after 3. Just as Clark refocused in Game 1, it was now time for The Meadows to have their own gut-check. A balanced attack from Lawrence Zhang, Ben Vinocur, Kyra Bucknam, and Rahul Mukhopadhyay brought the Mustangs back to life as they trailed 170-160 at halftime. The second half was a microcosm of everything that has defined the Chargers run at the top of the standings for six years. Mehari found her groove on tossups and looked to the expertise of Parth Joshi and Angus Preston on bonuses. While the Chargers are often reliant on only 1 or 2 players for tossups, they are frequently the most balanced team every season on bonus questions. In the second half, they dropped only 7 parts total. When the Meadows clawed back on a Vinocur T20 power, there was little panic about the 310-290 score. Joshi powered T21, the Mustangs called for time, and the Chargers finished their mission by getting the final three tossups. Without question, the performance by The Meadows was the stiffest challenge to the Chargers they have seen in a while. But Clark also showed just how Herculean an effort it will take for anyone to dethrone them. Their focus now turns to January, where they will try to make it 6 conference tournament titles and 6 state titles in a row. |
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365
235
440
285
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2021 All-LVQBA Teams
First Team
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Second Team
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Honorable Mention
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Blu Mehari, Clark
Nate Allison, Faith Lutheran Paige Bowler, Red Rock Ben Vinocur, The Meadows |
Jo Hartl, Liberty
Luke Strole, Faith Lutheran Lawrence Zhang, The Meadows Mikayla Hadersbeck, Liberty |
Daniel Obstgarten, CASLV
Tammy Huang, Rancho Parth Joshi, Clark Luke Baker, Faith Lutheran |
MS Division Recap--Mustangs Run The Table, Lone Mountain Wins Battle For Second
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As we knew from last week, the championship had already been decided. However, no school had ever finished the Middle School division with a perfect record. The Meadows made sure there would be no doubt of that happening this season. In their first match, they led Faith Lutheran 150-35 at halftime and then coasted to a 210-105 victory. Emma Chu led the Mustangs with 40 points, and Liam Davenport led all scorers for the Crusaders with 55 points.
In their second match, a difficult packet put the perfect season in a slightly precarious spot but not to the point where it was time to worry. The Meadows led Lone Mountain 50- -5 at halftime and wound up winning 120-35. The victory was their 10th of the season and secured the first perfect middle school record in league history. While the Wildcats had a tough match to start their day, they had to rebound quickly because their next match against Faith Lutheran would decide 2nd place. Another tough packet reared its ugly head, but Lone Mountain fought their way to a 70-30 halftime advantage. The second half was the Addison White Show. Five tossups helped White outscore every other player combined from both teams, and the Wildcats won 155-35. The second place finish is their highest ever. |
The Meadows Mustangs
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Week 4 Recap: Statistical Tiebreaker Imminent For LVQBA Finals Berth, Mustangs Win Middle School Championship
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If Week 4 of the LVQBA was a TV mini-series, today would have been the cliffhanger episode that sets up the finale. Both The Meadows and Faith Lutheran are still on track to finish with the same combined regular season record as Clark now looks to win the Clausura. Should that tie happen, it will come down to points per tossup heard. Faith Lutheran still controls its own destiny if they can find a way to defeat Clark on December 4th (something no team has done yet this year).
There was one storyline that did conclude, though. The Meadows has returned to the top of the mountain as they clinched the Middle School division and now look to finish with a perfect slate in Week 5. The championship is their 2nd in school history. |
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HS Match of the Day--Clark Downs The Meadows, Possible Finals Preview?
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The Meadows had an opportunity to seal up the 2nd LVQBA Finals berth with a win against Clark. After one half of play, it was evident that the Chargers were not interested in those plans. Clark rolled off the final 6 tossups of the first half and led 250-110, en route to a 460-320 victory.
After T6, The Meadows led 115-25 thanks to an early power from Ben Vinocur and a power and 10 from Lawrence Zhang. At that point, the Chargers imposed their will. Angus Preston powered twice, Blu Mehari powered with 2 10s, and Parth Joshi helped close the scoring. The teams mostly traded scores during the 2nd half, with the final margin not changing. The result sets up quite the intriguing prospect next weekend. Faith Lutheran A still needs to play Clark once more. If they win, they're in. If they lose to Clark and finish with the same record as the Mustangs, then the team with the better PPTH for the combined regular season will earn the 2nd finals berth. Both teams will need to score as much as possible in each of their 2 games on December 4th. Every bonus part could make the difference between advancing to Finals and finishing in 3rd. |
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MS Division Recap--The Meadows Wins 2021 Middle School Championship
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After sitting out last year due to the pandemic, The Meadows has returned to a spot that's been familiar to them--the top. They defeated both Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain to clinch the title with 2 games left to go for all teams. It is the 2nd championship in 3 years for the Mustangs, and their program continues to build on a meteoric rise since their entry in 2019.
As he's done all year, Colin Chu led the way in both matches. He still sits atop the league standings after posting a 2-3-0 (60) in Game 1 against Faith Lutheran and a 1-5-0 (65) line against Lone Mountain. The Mustangs are now 8-0 and can attempt to accomplish something they have yet to do--go undefeated in the regular season. Should they win both games next week, they will achieve that feat for the first time in school history. Through 8 games, The Meadows is averaging 10.42 points per tossup heard and 250 points per game. Second place in the league is still up for grabs, too. Both Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain will go into the final week with identical records. The winner of their last match between each other may end up taking home runners-up honors as a result. |
The Meadows Mustangs
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Week 3 Recap: Chargers Roll to Apertura Win, Clinch Sixth Straight Finals Berth
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Week 3 LVQBA action saw the end of the Apertura and the start of the Clausura round robin. The first round of the day featured the biggest match of the season so far, but it came with tempered enthusiasm as Clark defeated an undermanned Faith Lutheran A to finish the Apertura at a perfect 7-0. The Crusaders finished at 6-1 and still hold an inside track along with The Meadows to secure the 2nd finals berth even if Clark wins the Clausura. Both The Meadows and Faith Lutheran A still need to play Clark one more time, and it may come down to the PPTH tiebreaker.
In the middle school division, The Meadows increased its lead to 4 games and is now eyeing a league championship. Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain provided plenty of excitement as well with one of the closest matches of the season. |
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HS Match of the Day--Clark Wins Apertura and Clinches LVQBA Finals Appearance
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The Clark Chargers took down Faith Lutheran A 645-75 and earned a 6th-straight LVQBA Finals berth. The victory was thanks in no small part to Blu Mehari's 110 points (4-5-0). She powered four of the first six tossups and put her teammates comfortably ahead before she exited at halftime. The second half featured the depth that has been slowly building for Clark since the start of the year. All of the Chargers who played were able to score at least 1 tossup. Angus Preston turned in an impressive debut, going 1-4-0 for 55 points.
The final score was also partly a reflection of a disappointing set of circumstances for Faith Lutheran. Leading scorer Nate Allison was unavailable for today's matches, and the Crusaders only fielded three players for the entire day. Trying to win any match with 3 players is plenty difficult to begin with, and it only becomes more gargantuan when the five-time champions are sitting on the opposite side of the buzzers. Despite playing down 1 student all day, the Crusaders are still in very good shape to potentially make the LVQBA Finals should Clark win the Clausura. Faith Lutheran A currently leads The Meadows by 1 game in the combined standings, and they may be able to reach the finals if they win out the rest of the way with 5 games left. In each of Faith's 5 remaining games, they have already defeated every opponent once this year. While it wasn't the Crusaders at their full strength, all credit goes to Clark for not taking any opponent for granted regardless of the circumstances. A team can only play the opponent who's in the room, and that's exactly what Clark did. They will try for an incredible sixth straight championship on December 4th in the 2021 LVQBA Finals. |
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MS Division Recap--Magic Number Is 1 For The Meadows, Big Comeback Win For Lone Mountain
The Meadows is getting oh so close to their second league championship. With just 4 games left for every team, the Mustangs hold a 4-game lead over 2nd-place Lone Mountain (2-4). All The Meadows needs is just one more victory or one more Lone Mountain loss to clinch their 2nd title in 3 years. Today, they held off a valiant attempt from Faith Lutheran to prevail 220-165 and then rode the high to a 205-70 victory over Lone Mountain. Sam Vinocur and Colin Chu continue to hold the top 2 spots in the individual rankings.
Lone Mountain and Faith Lutheran got in on the fun today, too. They played one of the closest matches of the year, with Lone Mountain coming away with a 135-100 victory. The Crusaders held a 110-40 lead at halftime and looked poised to get their 2nd straight win over the Wildcats. It was not to be, however, as Lone Mountain shut out Faith Lutheran in the 2nd half and converted on just enough bonus parts to get the victory. The final lead change came on tossup 21 as the Wildcats earned a 10+10 to take a 120-100 lead. With the win, Lone Mountain now sits in 2nd place by 1 game over Faith Lutheran.
Lone Mountain and Faith Lutheran got in on the fun today, too. They played one of the closest matches of the year, with Lone Mountain coming away with a 135-100 victory. The Crusaders held a 110-40 lead at halftime and looked poised to get their 2nd straight win over the Wildcats. It was not to be, however, as Lone Mountain shut out Faith Lutheran in the 2nd half and converted on just enough bonus parts to get the victory. The final lead change came on tossup 21 as the Wildcats earned a 10+10 to take a 120-100 lead. With the win, Lone Mountain now sits in 2nd place by 1 game over Faith Lutheran.
Week 2 Recap: Meat-Grinder at The Top
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Week 2 of the LVQBA regular season provided a little bit of separation among the tiers in the HS division. As the season continues, it is definitely clear by now--there is no such thing as an easy weekend in 2021-2022. Clark and Faith Lutheran A preserved their perfect records, setting up a must-see clash next month in the first of their 2 Rivalry Week meetings. On the middle school side of things, The Meadows rode an early wave to keep their sheet spot-free at 4-0. They'll look to maintain their place at the top of the standings as the halfway point of the season looms in Week 3.
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HS Match of the Day--Clark Muscles Off Hard-Charging Mustangs
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This one was not for the faint of heart. An early salvo by The Meadows gave way to a Clark comeback before the two schools had a good old slugfest over the final 9 tossups. Experience won the day as the Chargers held off the Mustangs in a thrilling 410-315 showdown.
Ben Vinocur got the Mustangs off to a hot start, taking 4 of the first 5 tossups (teammate Lawrence Zhang had the fifth). However, they dropped a few more bonus parts than they would have preferred, settling for a 125-0 lead after 5 cycles. The lead was also Clark's largest deficit in LVQBA history. Blu Mehari then kicked it into high gear as she took 3 of the next 6, and teammate Kevin Sun grabbed an additional tossup. Clark's bonus conversion was stellar, dropping only 3 parts out of 15. At halftime, the deficit was erased, and the Chargers led 170-155. As the second half started, Rahul Mukhopadhyay fired a quick 10 along with his team's full bonus 30 in the first of what would be four lead changes in the next 12 cycles. Mehari got the next two tossups to put Clark up 235-195. Ben Vinocur came right back to get T16 along with another full 30 on the bonus for a tie at 235 with 8 to play. Mehari and Vinocur traded the next two tossups, but Mehari's was for power. The Chargers led 280-275 with 6 to go. Mukhopadhyay appeared to land a critical hit for The Meadows with a power on T19 and an ensuing 30 on the bonus. However, the experience of Blu Mehari shone when it was needed most. She took the next 3 tossups, powering one of them, and Clark held a 385-315 lead with 2 to go. After a Clark neg and a dead T23, Mehari got T24 to close it out. The Mustangs have made it known they are not to be taken lightly in their first year at the HS level. This was still the Clark Chargers, though, and today's match showcased many of the reasons why they are the league champions. If Chuck Bean's students have anything to say about it, they are not interested in giving up that title any time soon. |
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MS Division Recap--Competitive Matches All Day Long, Mustangs Take Early Division Lead
The Meadows is on a mission to win their 2nd title in 3 years--that much is true after 6 rounds. Behind some big efforts from Chanel Cruz, Sam Vinocur, and Colin Chu the Mustangs defeated Faith Lutheran (305-0) and Lone Mountain (310-60). Vinocur currently leads the individual stats at 52.73 points per game. The Mustangs also boast 4 of the top 5 spots in the individual leaderboard. Their division lead sits at 3 games heading into Week 3.
Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain saw a reversal of their meeting from Week 1. This time, it was the Crusaders who turned the tables, defeating the Wildcats 200-15. Liam Davenport and Ben Tolan led the way for Faith Lutheran. Jackson Meiers, Wade Winchell, and Sam Hartkopf all chipped in with 1 tossup apiece. In their 2 meetings this year, each team has won once, and the combined score is 275-220 in favor of the Crusaders. Their next meeting promises to be interesting as each team has taken their opponent's best shot at the start of the season.
Faith Lutheran and Lone Mountain saw a reversal of their meeting from Week 1. This time, it was the Crusaders who turned the tables, defeating the Wildcats 200-15. Liam Davenport and Ben Tolan led the way for Faith Lutheran. Jackson Meiers, Wade Winchell, and Sam Hartkopf all chipped in with 1 tossup apiece. In their 2 meetings this year, each team has won once, and the combined score is 275-220 in favor of the Crusaders. Their next meeting promises to be interesting as each team has taken their opponent's best shot at the start of the season.
Week 1 Recap: Parity At The Top On The Way?
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In-person quiz bowl returned to Nevada on Saturday as the LVQBA began the 2021-22 season at Liberty High School. The High School and Middle School division-split is back in effect, and the early results suggest there are several contenders to finish at the top this year. While there were plenty of familiar faces who turned in expected performances, the 2021 season kickoff marked the emergence of some new blood in the league.
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HS Match of the Day--Crusaders and Mustangs Trade Blows Before Faith Lutheran Pulls Away
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Disregard the final score between Faith Lutheran A and The Meadows for a second. Now consider that this match had:
The second half began with powers from Nate Allison and Luke Baker for Faith A. They started a 5-tossup streak that ended with another Allison power, giving the Crusaders a 370-120 lead after T17. That stretch ultimately proved to be the difference as the teams pretty much traded tossups over the final 7 cycles. The 525-210 final reminded everyone that Faith Lutheran is ready to take another shot at the top of the league after securing their highest-ever finish last season. For The Meadows, considering their stellar opponent, it was still an impressive first time out in the High School Division. Without question, pretty much all eyes are starting to turn to Faith A and the five-time defending champion Clark Chargers. Both teams went 3-0 on the day with similar scoring totals. They will meet for the first time this year on November 13th at Liberty. |
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MS Division Recap--Competitive Matches All Day Long, Mustangs Take Early Division Lead
Even though it's a smaller league than two years ago, the Middle School Division is seeing increased participation after COVID precautions made it hard to continue program growth. Despite that challenge, the talent was fully on display from all three teams Saturday.
The Meadows jumped out to a 2-0 record (and division lead) with victories over Faith Lutheran (220-135) and Lone Mountain (200-130). The mustangs look to be a very balanced herd this year, with five players scoring anywhere from 40 to 50 points on tossups throughout the day. Emma Chu led the team with a combined 50 points in her two appearances.
Lone Mountain may have a star in the making. Wade Winchell leads all scorers after 3 rounds with 110 points (2-8-0). He also leads the division in powers (2).
Faith Lutheran's record is pretty deceiving at the moment. Their two losses were by 4 cycles or fewer. Liam Davenport currently leads the team in scoring with 45 points.
The Meadows jumped out to a 2-0 record (and division lead) with victories over Faith Lutheran (220-135) and Lone Mountain (200-130). The mustangs look to be a very balanced herd this year, with five players scoring anywhere from 40 to 50 points on tossups throughout the day. Emma Chu led the team with a combined 50 points in her two appearances.
Lone Mountain may have a star in the making. Wade Winchell leads all scorers after 3 rounds with 110 points (2-8-0). He also leads the division in powers (2).
Faith Lutheran's record is pretty deceiving at the moment. Their two losses were by 4 cycles or fewer. Liam Davenport currently leads the team in scoring with 45 points.
2021-22 League Information
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