Ramsey Teens Do TV Game Show First

A team of Ramsey High School competitors on the MSG Varsity Quiz Bowl show The Challenge fell just short of capturing the New Jersey Regional champ title last week. But, the group of trivia buffs did break a school record.

After making it through four rounds of competitive play – beating out teams from Hawthorne, Eastern Christian High School, the Frisch School, and Ridgewood – the Ramsey squad fell to the team from Mountain Lakes High School in the NJ Regional Finals episode, which aired last Friday. Mountain Lakes is moving on this week to compete against teams from parts of New York and Connecticut in the Tri-State Championship rounds.

By competing in the New Jersey Finals, the 2013 Ramsey team made it further in The Challenge than any other team from the district ever has, competitors say. It’s an accomplishment they are proud of.

“We didn’t expect to make it this far at all,” Derek Nelson, a Junior at Ramsey High School said. “We knew we had a balanced team with a strong skill set, but we were able to get so far, I think, because of our teamwork. To be successful, we had to work together.”

Collaborating on answers, implementing fast buzz-in tactics, and practicing three or four times a week before school and during lunch are all ways the team worked together toward their goal, Nelson said.

“Every time we went back, we were more eager,” he said. “We definitely got better as we went on in the competition.”

And, the Rams were out in support of the team. Each time the group traveled to NYC for a taping, a group of supporters joined them, and cheered the on in the stands.

“We had so much support from other students,” Nelson said. “It really motivated us, and gave us confidence, knowing that the student body was behind us.”

This season, 192 schools from around the region competed in The Challenge, which chooses its participants each school year through a lottery system. Regional champs win $2,500 for the team’s school. The show’s ultimate winner will take home $10K in prizes and $500 for each participant.

Fans who did not catch the Ramsey episodes on TV can watch them online.

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