2025 Academic Tournament Schedule

Last week’s snow out pushed the start of the Academic Tournament to the second scheduled week, but it did not dampen the spirits of the competitors and fans one bit. Reviews from players and fans alike agreed that the season started strong on Friday night at Frederick High School. Two teams dominated their matches, and several teams seemed in mid-season form on opening night. The changes to the math round went off without a hitch, and many audience members said they enjoyed seeing the formulas the competitors were trying to solve. The specialty topic of Culinary Arts was challenging to some teams, as early buzzes sometimes led to losing points, but there was fun and excitement throughout all the matches. Overall, it was a great first night to start the season. 

Match 1: Patriots 10, Lancers 1, Hawks 19

The Hawks were one of the best looking teams of the night, winning or tying each round of their competition. In the first round, Urbana took 5 of the 10 points available, with TJ and Linganore earning 2 and 1 respectively. The second round brought another 5 to the Hawks, while the Lancers and Patriots had to split 5 points between them. In the math round, the Hawks continued their winning ways and took 4 more points to build their lead further. TJ managed 2 points, and the Lancers ended the round even. The fourth round was unusual in that no team advanced or retreated and the score stayed locked at 14 for Urbana, 7 for TJ, and 3 for Linganore. The final round was spirited, but the Hawks were too much and finished just shy of 20.  On Monday, Urbana will take on the Railroaders, who also won their first match, with the Knights hoping to play spoiler.

Match 2: Knights 12, Cadets 11, Lions 23

The second match showed some early strengths for all three teams, and then last year's playoffs winner roared. The Cadets took the opening round and kept their lead in the second, but both the Knights and the Lions scored well in round two to pull a bit closer. In the math round, Walkersville bared their claws, earning 6 of the 10 points available. The Knights also scored, while the Cadets fell back, and suddenly it seemed like anyone’s game. This specialty round was the best played (statistically) of the night, with Walkersville taking 3 points to Frederick’s 2, and the Knights 1, and the Lions had built a 6 point lead heading into the final round. Walkersville won the fifth round, with the spirited Knights giving chase to finish in second for the match. The Lions were one of two teams to surpass 20 points for the night.

Match 3: Railroaders 15, Titans 11, Bears 13

The third match of the night was also the most electric as perennial power Brunswick had its hands full trying to stave off two fired up teams. The Railroaders took the first round and stretched its lead in the second, leading 11 to 7 for Tuscarora and 4 for Oakdale. A chaotic math round made things interesting with both the Titans and Railroaders losing points. The Bears held steady and cut into the lead of the others. The specialty round proved a challenge for Brunswick as well; they lost points while both the Titans and Bears crept closer to pull within 1 point heading into the final round 8-7-7. The last round was the best played round the entire night as the teams earned 17 of the 20 points available and when the dust cleared, Brunswick had held their lead. Still, both the Titans and Bears look like up and coming teams that should not be overlooked.

Match 4: Knights 8, Cougars 21, Titans 3

The smallest school in FCPS showed it is not small on the academic stage by winning or tying each of the rounds in this match. In round one, the Cougars and Titans took 2 points and the Knights were close behind with 1. All teams earned points in round two, with Middletown and Catoctin both grabbing 4. In the math round, Catoctin began to take control, gaining 4 points while the others held steady. The Cougars further moved ahead in the specialty round on Culinary Arts, while the Knights held steady and the Titans lost ground. The final grab bag round was all Catoctin - they earned an incredible 10 of the 20 points available, to win going away.  

The FCPS Academic Team Tournament is in its 44th year of competition. The teams play matches in five rounds, the first round is called the Lightning Round with 10 questions on a surprise topic. The second round is a team round, where without buzzers, teams attempt to answer six questions from six completely different areas. The third round is a ten question mix of math questions and regular academic trivia. The fourth round is a ten question specialty round, and the match finishes off with a twenty question grab bag round. Two match sessions next week! Monday at 5:00 will be Board Games, and Friday at 6:00 will be Women in Science.  Matches are held in the auditorium at Frederick High in January and February. Monday’s match has a special start time at 5:00 p.m.

Next week’s game to watch: With Walkersville, Catoctin was able to insist that last year’s success was no fluke, and this year they hope to contend for the championship. They’ll be offering a rematch with Tuscarora with the feisty Bears as the third team. The most intriguing game might be the first match which will have two winners from the first match, Brunswick and Urbana, who will face off with Middletown hoping to play spoiler.  It should be a great early week session! Special topic: Board Games. See you Monday at Frederick High School, January 13 at a special start time of 5:00 p.m.