MassillonMom
02-08-2008, 09:23 AM
Congratulations to all the fine students on the AC team!:no2:
(This is excerpted from the Inde's story on today's front page.)
In the league tournament play Monday night, Perry finally downed their arch rival to advance to the tournament finals. There, they narrowly-defeated Washington High – by a single point – to win the league championship.
Hoover finished third overall and Jackson took fourth.
“We probably had our biggest challenge of the year,” Briercheck said. “Massillon was pretty tough.”
That’s quite a statement considering the strength of the league, which boasts 11 schools: Massillon, Perry, Jackson, Central Catholic, GlenOak, Hoover, Lake, McKinley, Timken, New Philadelphia and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The problem with Massillon, Briercheck said, was that they were quick on the buzzer.
“I just tried to answer as quick as possible,” Massillon senior Matt Buttacavoli said.
The strategy worked well.
“I have been doing this for 13 years and I have never seen a final round that was as close as that one,” Briercheck said. “These kids have an incredible knowledge base and their ability to buzz in quickly and recall information is just amazing.”
The Tigers are taking the second place finish in stride. According to team coach Dave Harding, it is the most successful tournament run the team has ever made and that is something the students are proud of.
“It’s difficult because we know we could have won it with one more question,” Tigers senior Jessica Stuck said. “Still, it’s nice to know we could have been in (Perry’s) situation.”
Perry’s situation is a comfortable one. With the tournament victory Monday night, Perry also earned the right to advance to the academic challenge district meet on April 26. Hoover, which finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record, will also advance to district competition because they posted the league’s best regular season record.
Ferrell and his fellow captain, senior Jason Slutz, say they can’t wait for the district meet. Not only will they be entering uncharted territory, but they will also be getting those value meals Briercheck promised.
“I think,” Slutz said, “she’ll pay us when we go to the district tournament.”
Perry
Perry’s team has fared well in academic challenge competitions in recent years, but tied its all-time best record 9-1 this season. That’s because this team, Briercheck said, has mastered the basics: Buzz in fast and apologize later.
“I would rather them be aggressive on the buzzer and lose points occasionally because they buzzed in too soon,” Briercheck said, “than to have kids who are timid on the buzzer.”
Still, Briercheck admits with a laugh, you can’t do it all.
“We have our weaknesses,” Briercheck said. “We struggle with botany.”
Massillon
After finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record, senior Dan Coffey led the Tigers into competition Monday with few expectations.
When he and his teammates found themselves in the final round, battling for a league championship, he was as surprised as anyone.
“I knew were going to do pretty well,” Coffey said, “but I didn’t expect that.”
Massillon’s biggest strength was unity.
“We went in there to play as a team and have fun,” Coffey said. “There is a point when you have to get serious and focus, but we (knew) we had to have fun, too.”
(This is excerpted from the Inde's story on today's front page.)
In the league tournament play Monday night, Perry finally downed their arch rival to advance to the tournament finals. There, they narrowly-defeated Washington High – by a single point – to win the league championship.
Hoover finished third overall and Jackson took fourth.
“We probably had our biggest challenge of the year,” Briercheck said. “Massillon was pretty tough.”
That’s quite a statement considering the strength of the league, which boasts 11 schools: Massillon, Perry, Jackson, Central Catholic, GlenOak, Hoover, Lake, McKinley, Timken, New Philadelphia and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The problem with Massillon, Briercheck said, was that they were quick on the buzzer.
“I just tried to answer as quick as possible,” Massillon senior Matt Buttacavoli said.
The strategy worked well.
“I have been doing this for 13 years and I have never seen a final round that was as close as that one,” Briercheck said. “These kids have an incredible knowledge base and their ability to buzz in quickly and recall information is just amazing.”
The Tigers are taking the second place finish in stride. According to team coach Dave Harding, it is the most successful tournament run the team has ever made and that is something the students are proud of.
“It’s difficult because we know we could have won it with one more question,” Tigers senior Jessica Stuck said. “Still, it’s nice to know we could have been in (Perry’s) situation.”
Perry’s situation is a comfortable one. With the tournament victory Monday night, Perry also earned the right to advance to the academic challenge district meet on April 26. Hoover, which finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record, will also advance to district competition because they posted the league’s best regular season record.
Ferrell and his fellow captain, senior Jason Slutz, say they can’t wait for the district meet. Not only will they be entering uncharted territory, but they will also be getting those value meals Briercheck promised.
“I think,” Slutz said, “she’ll pay us when we go to the district tournament.”
Perry
Perry’s team has fared well in academic challenge competitions in recent years, but tied its all-time best record 9-1 this season. That’s because this team, Briercheck said, has mastered the basics: Buzz in fast and apologize later.
“I would rather them be aggressive on the buzzer and lose points occasionally because they buzzed in too soon,” Briercheck said, “than to have kids who are timid on the buzzer.”
Still, Briercheck admits with a laugh, you can’t do it all.
“We have our weaknesses,” Briercheck said. “We struggle with botany.”
Massillon
After finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record, senior Dan Coffey led the Tigers into competition Monday with few expectations.
When he and his teammates found themselves in the final round, battling for a league championship, he was as surprised as anyone.
“I knew were going to do pretty well,” Coffey said, “but I didn’t expect that.”
Massillon’s biggest strength was unity.
“We went in there to play as a team and have fun,” Coffey said. “There is a point when you have to get serious and focus, but we (knew) we had to have fun, too.”