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Manchester High moves to third round

Victorious Manchester High Schools' Challenge Quiz team pose for the camera after their 36-18 thrashing of STETHS. The members of the team are from left Raphael Adjohdia, Danielle Chai, Marvin Cole and captain Leighton Morrison. - Carlington Wilmot

MANCHESTER HIGH moved on to the third round of TVJ's Schools' Challenge Quiz competition, after dispatching St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) 36-18.

Despite their convincing win, the team's captain, Leighton Morrison believed they could have done even better. "I don't think we were as strong in this match as we should have been. There were things we knew and we did not answer them," he told THE STAR after the game concluded.

However, he promised they would not make that mistake again. "We will do better in the next round. We will come back stronger," Morrison vowed. Danielle Chai; Raphael Adjohdia and Marvin Cole completed the Manchester team.

Manchester High has won the competition twice, first in 1975 and then in 1980, and since then, have been to the finals several times, the last being last year where they were beaten by Munro. Therefore, they were seeded third in this year's competition. However, their performance throughout the match did not seem fitting of a team of their stature.

At the end of section one, ­ during which questions are posed alternately to each team ­ they were locked on seven points with STETHS. They showed a slight improvement in the second section.

Closing the gap

During that section, teams have three alternate one minute time periods within which to answer questions. Manchester ended their first minute with 12 points; while STETHS closed their first minute with 13. At the end of their second minute Manchester moved to 17 points, STETHS inched along to 15.

When the third and final minute ended, Manchester had 22 points; STETHS 16. Heading into the final section, the match still seemed evenly poised. Apparently, Manchester realized that this could be the end of the line for them, because they began to play with renewed vigor.

During that round, questions are thrown out to the teams, with the team pressing the buzzer first, given the opportunity to respond.

The team receives two points for each correct answer, and two points are subtracted for each wrong answer.

Manchester rang in more times than STETHS with eight attempts to their opponents three. Of the eight questions, they only got one answer wrong, while STETHS got two of their three responses correct.

After the game, STETHS captain Venroy Watson told THE STAR: "I think we did well, except for the loss." The other members of his team were Troy Nephew; Elcando Citeron and Dwayne Pennicook.