Washington High School completed their memorable scholar bowl season with a second-place finish in Class 5 at the MSHSAA Championships at the University of Missouri on Saturday, May 9.

The Blue Jays played a round-robin format against three other schools to determine who would reach the championship match and who would play for third-place.

Washington’s starting four were were Nathan Oreskovic, Peter Bush, Zachary Zingrich and Brennan Sullivan, with Elijah Hewlett and Liam Scroggins serving as substitutes.

“Saturday was a whirlwind of emotions. Our day began with a team breakfast at JoJo’s Biscuit Company, which was a huge hit. The team laughed, shared stories, and enjoyed a healthy, filling meal,” said Washington Scholar Bowl Coach Nathan Cabot. “Once we arrived on campus and checked in, we took a short walk around central campus to enjoy the beautiful morning and clear our minds.”

In the opening round, Washington defeated Central High School from Springfield, 350-290.

“Central started incredibly strong, winning the majority of the tossups in the first half, but we battled hard and stayed in the match by picking up several bounce-backs on bonus questions,” Cabot said. “The second half suited our style much better, with major contributions from our upperclassmen. Zachary was our MVP in that match, coming through with the game-winning answer on the final tossup to secure a 350–290 victory.”

In the second round, the Blue Jays lost to Westminster Christian, 320-270.

“We played Westminster earlier in the year and knew they were a very strong team. Their top player was incredibly quick, answering many tossup questions with very early buzzes,” Cabot said. “For us, Peter had an outstanding round, answering six tossups. The game went back and forth throughout. In the end, Westminster pulled ahead on the final two questions to defeat us 320–270.”

Washington needed a strong showing in round three against St. Pius X (Kansas City) to advance to the finals, and the team delivered with a 470-240 victory.

“Going into the match, we knew that winning alone would not guarantee a trip to the championship game. We also needed to score as many points as possible in case of a three-way tie. Our team responded with an incredible performance, putting up 470 points. Nathan answered nine tossups on his own,” Cabot said. “In the other round-three matchup, Central defeated Westminster, forcing a tiebreaker to determine who would advance to the championship. Based on total points scored, Central and Washington earned spots in the title match.”

Washington fell short to Central in the championship match, 290-230.

“The championship game played out much like our first-round matchup against them. It was intense and back-and-forth the entire time,” Cabot said. “Nathan, Peter, Zachary and Brennan all battled hard right to the very end. Unfortunately, on question 21 of 22, Central clinched the victory, defeating us 290–230.”

Oreskovic and Bush, both seniors, received All-State honors. Oreskovic was recognized for having the third-highest point total across the first three matches, while Bush earned recognition for the fourth-highest total. Washington was the only team with more than one player ranked among the top five individual scorers.

“I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments of all our scholars throughout this long season,” Cabot said. “I am especially proud of our young freshmen; Elijah Hewlett, Liam Scroggins, Ben Raeker, Scarlett Ohm, Areeba Shaikh and Madison Warner. These six have bright futures ahead of them, and they gained valuable experience throughout the year. I cannot wait to see what they accomplish over the next three years.”

 

Washington High School placed second in Class 5 at the MSHSAA Scholar Bowl Championships at the University of Missouri on Saturday, May 9.

 

Washington High School scholar bowl starters, from left, were Brennan Sullivan, Peter Bush, Nathan Oreskovic and Zachary Zingrich.