Students Wesley Roberson, Robert Wasson, Lawson Marchetti and Alex Reichle are without a doubt four of the smartest Patriots at Prep,  and because of their performances on this year’s senior high quiz bowl team, these students have landed the reputations of being some of the most knowledgeable students in the state.

Beating the buzzer one match at a time, these four team members achieved victories at three different tournaments this year, including regional tournaments at Mississippi College and Madison Central as well as a statewide tournament at Christ United Methodist Church.

At the Mississippi College tournament and the MAIS statewide tournament at Christ United, the senior high quiz bowl team walked away with a first place trophy, having defeated around thirty to forty different teams. After the most recent tournament at Madison Central High School, the team finished in second place after a disappointing defeat to Meridian High School.

Contrary to popular belief, quiz bowl is not simply a math or science driven tournament. Topics for questions in matches incorporate a wide variety of subjects, including pop culture, music, history, and literature.

According to senior Lawson Marchetti, each member of the team has a different area of interest in which they excel. “We each have our favorite subject matter,” he said. “The questions are everything.” For Marchetti, it’s English. For team member of three years and captain Wesley Roberson it’s math. For Robert Wasson it’s history, and for Alex Reichle, it’s theatre.

Despite their differing talents on subject matter, the team members agree that they have been able to see quiz bowl at Prep grow tremendously during the 2016-2017 season. According to Roberson, the team set the bar high for themselves at tournaments, especially at Mississippi College, to not just beat the scores of other teams but to beat their own scores.

Last year, the team’s personal goal for points was 600. This year, the team was able to reach 700 points in tournaments over three times. “The more you play together, the more that kind of stuff happens,” said Roberson.

While this quiz bowl season may be hard to top as three of the four members are leaving for college soon, the group has high hopes for next year. Junior Alex Reichle stated, “It’s definitely going to be weird without them. We have been working as a team for a while now, but I’m excited for what next year holds.” As of now, it appears that Roberson’s brother Graham will be the most difinite addition for next season.

After graduation, Mr. Divine and students will be travelling to nationals in New Orleans. The three seniors of the group Roberson, Wasson, and Marchetti do not expect to place particularly well, but they hope that the team will have an enjoyable, final tournament together in Louisiana.