TOP STORIES
FALCONS REACH FINALS AT LIQBA WESTERN REGIONAL, CLOSE OUT SUCCESSFUL NATIONALS RUN FOR NEVADA
|
Serving as the final representative on the national stage for Nevada in 2026, the Coral Academy Falcons breezed through the LIQBA Denver Regional and earned 2nd place. The finish is the highest for the Falcons at any national tournament. The Falcons found consistent scoring from the outgoing senior core in their final high school competition. Guest contributor Mike Obstgarten tells the rest of the story below.
|
|
|
Guest Contributor: Mike Obstgarten, Head Coach at Coral Academy-Sandy Ridge
Saturday Prelims Though the Coral Academy Falcons were unable to attend NAQT nationals in Atlanta due to graduation, they were excited to attend LIQBA’s regional tournament in Denver, which was held the last weekend of May. The seeding test that all teams took before Saturday’s competition showed that the Falcons would not be an easy out, as they scored 560 out of a possible 900 points, which was a top-25% result nationally. Having never played LIQBA’s four-quarter format before, the team didn’t quite know what to expect, but they went into Saturday’s preliminary rounds excited to compete together one final time regardless of the outcome. After some first-quarter jitters ebbed, the Falcons ran away with what started off as a close game; multiple steals during the collaboration round, combined with converting 4 of their own 5 questions, gave the Falcons a 210-85 lead heading into the final quarter (15 toss-ups, 20 points each). Led by a 120-point performance from outgoing senior Josiah Chong, the Falcons dominated the fourth quarter, setting the tone for the weekend, defeating Tatum (NM) 410-125. |
CORAL ACADEMY
|
The pattern held throughout the next several matches: a balanced Falcon attack in the 4th quarter allowed them to pull away from Life Way (AK) and win 395-145; junior Kristin Peng scored half of the Falcons’ 200 4th-quarter points in their third match, a 445-200 win over a good young Boise (ID) team; the team romped throughout a 515-100 win over Carbon B (UT); another 200 4th-quarter points in defeating South Glens Falls (NY) 405-180; and the team never trailed against Bishop O’Gorman (CA), winning 345-130 to set up a showdown against Homestead (CA) for the bracket championship.
Homestead had proven themselves capable in their early matches, averaging over 250 ppg, so the Falcons knew they would be challenged. That challenge did not appear to be forthcoming, as the Falcons went into the 4th quarter with a 235-140 lead, confident that they would continue to dominate the final quarter. But their opponents (and the packet) had other plans, running off five of the first seven questions (with the other two going dead) to take a 5-point lead. The Falcons rebounded well, taking four of the next five questions (two by outgoing senior captain Daniel Obstgarten and one each from Chong and Peng). Homestead took questions 13 and 14, cutting the Falcons’ lead to 15 heading into the final 20-point question. With the audience on the edge of their seats as the moderator read deeper into the question, Obstgarten heard the critical clue and rang in with (and in) “time” to give the Falcons the win, a 7-0 preliminary-round record, the bracket championship, and the #2 seed heading into Sunday’s double-elimination playoffs.
Sunday Playoffs
Sunday started with an awards ceremony for top-scoring players in the preliminary round. Two Falcons were thusly honored; Josiah Chong finished 6th and was awarded a medal, and Daniel Obstgarten finished 4th and was awarded both a medal and a stuffed duck (duck? platypus? platyduck? We’re not really sure). The playoffs started with a rematch against Bishop O’Gorman. The time-limited match was never in doubt, and the Falcons advanced with a 390-155 win. The team knew that its winners’ bracket semifinal against Jenks (OK) would be its toughest match yet, and the opponent did not disappoint. Jenks never trailed at any point in the first three quarters, leading 80-20 after the first, 160-70 after the second, and 240-160 after the third. The Falcons were reminded that they had dominated the fourth quarter all weekend, and it was time to do so again, as they would need 10/15 questions to win. The fourth quarter started ominously, as the opponents nailed another literature question, and the teams then alternated rebounds on the next two questions. The Falcons still trailed by 100 with a dozen 20-point questions to go. Seven questions later, the game was tied thanks to a physics get from Peng, a first-sentence history get from Chong, and four hits from Obstgarten. With the game tied at 300 and the winners’ bracket final on the line, Chong’s correct answer gave the Falcons their first lead of the match with four questions to go. The ensuing question went dead, and then another correct buzz from Obstgarten put the Falcons up 40, assuring them no worse than overtime. On the next question, Chong ensured that there would be no overtime, buzzing in to clinch a dramatic Falcons’ comeback. Final score: CASLV 360, Jenks 320.
The Falcons knew what was in store for them in the winners’ bracket final against Elkhorn (WI): tournament scoring leader Carson Deprez, who had outscored everyone else by nearly 100ppg. The Falcons had a brief 30-20 lead in the first quarter, but never led again, as Deprez’ buzzer speed was fractionally quicker throughout the match, and the Falcons suffered their first defeat, 415-255. The Falcons sat on the #1 line of the losers’ bracket final, awaiting the winner of the Jenks/Homestead match. That game too came down to the last question, with Jenks emerging victorious, 315-275.
Knowing that they needed an epic comeback in their prior match against Jenks, the Falcons were hoping to not need a repeat performance. This game between two evenly-matched opponents was very tight throughout: tied at 50 after the first quarter, and the Falcons had a 15-point lead after the second quarter (thanks almost entirely to a 30-point first half from outgoing senior Sydney Van, whose contributions during bonuses and collaboration questions were invaluable throughout the weekend) which was cut to 5 by the end of the third. One quarter remained to see which team would advance to the West Region championship. Jenks hit 5 of the first 8 questions to take a 35-point lead, but Obstgarten refused to allow the Falcons to lose, hitting three of the next four questions (resulting in his 3rd 100-point 4th quarter of the tournament). Chong finished the job again with a clinching buzz, sending the Falcons into a high-school tournament final for the first time.
While the final against Elkhorn went similarly to their prior match against that opponent (the Falcons led only 10-0 and ended up on the wrong end of a 450-285 result); the team was able to leave Denver with their heads held high, with one final memory of their time together, and with hardware!
Homestead had proven themselves capable in their early matches, averaging over 250 ppg, so the Falcons knew they would be challenged. That challenge did not appear to be forthcoming, as the Falcons went into the 4th quarter with a 235-140 lead, confident that they would continue to dominate the final quarter. But their opponents (and the packet) had other plans, running off five of the first seven questions (with the other two going dead) to take a 5-point lead. The Falcons rebounded well, taking four of the next five questions (two by outgoing senior captain Daniel Obstgarten and one each from Chong and Peng). Homestead took questions 13 and 14, cutting the Falcons’ lead to 15 heading into the final 20-point question. With the audience on the edge of their seats as the moderator read deeper into the question, Obstgarten heard the critical clue and rang in with (and in) “time” to give the Falcons the win, a 7-0 preliminary-round record, the bracket championship, and the #2 seed heading into Sunday’s double-elimination playoffs.
Sunday Playoffs
Sunday started with an awards ceremony for top-scoring players in the preliminary round. Two Falcons were thusly honored; Josiah Chong finished 6th and was awarded a medal, and Daniel Obstgarten finished 4th and was awarded both a medal and a stuffed duck (duck? platypus? platyduck? We’re not really sure). The playoffs started with a rematch against Bishop O’Gorman. The time-limited match was never in doubt, and the Falcons advanced with a 390-155 win. The team knew that its winners’ bracket semifinal against Jenks (OK) would be its toughest match yet, and the opponent did not disappoint. Jenks never trailed at any point in the first three quarters, leading 80-20 after the first, 160-70 after the second, and 240-160 after the third. The Falcons were reminded that they had dominated the fourth quarter all weekend, and it was time to do so again, as they would need 10/15 questions to win. The fourth quarter started ominously, as the opponents nailed another literature question, and the teams then alternated rebounds on the next two questions. The Falcons still trailed by 100 with a dozen 20-point questions to go. Seven questions later, the game was tied thanks to a physics get from Peng, a first-sentence history get from Chong, and four hits from Obstgarten. With the game tied at 300 and the winners’ bracket final on the line, Chong’s correct answer gave the Falcons their first lead of the match with four questions to go. The ensuing question went dead, and then another correct buzz from Obstgarten put the Falcons up 40, assuring them no worse than overtime. On the next question, Chong ensured that there would be no overtime, buzzing in to clinch a dramatic Falcons’ comeback. Final score: CASLV 360, Jenks 320.
The Falcons knew what was in store for them in the winners’ bracket final against Elkhorn (WI): tournament scoring leader Carson Deprez, who had outscored everyone else by nearly 100ppg. The Falcons had a brief 30-20 lead in the first quarter, but never led again, as Deprez’ buzzer speed was fractionally quicker throughout the match, and the Falcons suffered their first defeat, 415-255. The Falcons sat on the #1 line of the losers’ bracket final, awaiting the winner of the Jenks/Homestead match. That game too came down to the last question, with Jenks emerging victorious, 315-275.
Knowing that they needed an epic comeback in their prior match against Jenks, the Falcons were hoping to not need a repeat performance. This game between two evenly-matched opponents was very tight throughout: tied at 50 after the first quarter, and the Falcons had a 15-point lead after the second quarter (thanks almost entirely to a 30-point first half from outgoing senior Sydney Van, whose contributions during bonuses and collaboration questions were invaluable throughout the weekend) which was cut to 5 by the end of the third. One quarter remained to see which team would advance to the West Region championship. Jenks hit 5 of the first 8 questions to take a 35-point lead, but Obstgarten refused to allow the Falcons to lose, hitting three of the next four questions (resulting in his 3rd 100-point 4th quarter of the tournament). Chong finished the job again with a clinching buzz, sending the Falcons into a high-school tournament final for the first time.
While the final against Elkhorn went similarly to their prior match against that opponent (the Falcons led only 10-0 and ended up on the wrong end of a 450-285 result); the team was able to leave Denver with their heads held high, with one final memory of their time together, and with hardware!
2025-26 LEAGUE INFORMATION
Thanks for visiting the official web page of the Las Vegas Quiz Bowl Alliance!
For more information on our tenth year of competition, please visit our Why Join? page. Also, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any additional questions about the league and how to join.
And while you're here, go ahead and take a moment to check out:
For more information on our tenth year of competition, please visit our Why Join? page. Also, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any additional questions about the league and how to join.
And while you're here, go ahead and take a moment to check out:
- How the game is played
- Our league format
- The many benefits we offer for our member schools
- How you can get involved as a trained game official