The academic team won the state championship April 2. The team has placed in the top six the last 15 of 17 years, but had not won state since winning back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. 

“Going into the last quarter of the championship game against Bishop Kelley it was tied, so it was nerve racking, but it was very exciting once we won,” captain Curt Schwager said. “Ms. Anderson-Holt actually cried, but Mr. Goff and the rest of the team were very excited. It’s still kind of surreal.”

The team had an extra two months to practice after the competition, originally scheduled for February, was postponed because of bad weather. 

“A normal practice is all of the students vs. Ms. Anderson-Holt,” Coach Nicky Goff said. “As state got closer we only had four students against Anderson-Holt at a time, and they practiced switching out people at the appropriate times. If the student team cannot beat her, or get close, then they are not going to win state.”

Anderson-Holt said that the biggest difference between this team and previous teams was how well they know each other. Only four people can play at one time, so the captain is in charge of subbing his teammates in and out at quarter. 

“I’m friends with all of the team outside of academic team, too,” Schwager said. “I think knowing them and knowing what they know best helped me to figure out when to put the right people in.”