ConVal High School Upsets Merrimack In Granite State Challenge

DURHAM, NH — ConVal High School defeated Merrimack High School in a Granite State Challenge match that aired Thursday on New Hampshire PBS.

ConVal achieved a comeback victory with a final score of 350–315. Merrimack High School had been the defending champion.

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ConVal High School's team was led by 12th-grader Ben Michaud. His teammates included 9th-grader Ben Ferrisi, 11th-grader Vincent Hollenbeck, and 11th-grader Iris Palmer. The team's alternates were 10th-grader Colin Maybury and 11th-grader Marcus Jordan. Social Studies teachers Eric Bowman and Chris Heider coached the ConVal Cougars. ConVal High serves 630 students from towns including Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Peterborough, Sharon, and Temple.

The Merrimack High School team was captained by 12th-grader Avis Clever. Other team members included 12th-grader Bridget Clark, 11th-grader Jeremy Nigen, and 12th-grader Lauren Murby. Alternates were 11th-grader Zach Tiller and 10th-grader Tess Howes. Chemistry teacher Dr. Sara Campbell and ESOL teacher Jess Kueblbeck coached the Merrimack Tomahawks. Merrimack High enrolls 1,100 students and had won five out of six championships since 2020.

Merrimack led for most of the game. ConVal Captain Ben Michaud said, “Holy smokes—they're so fast on the buzzer. It was hard to keep up with them.”

Merrimack performed strongly in the Three Strikes and You’re Out Round. Captain Avis Clever said, “I'm proud of how we performed. We worked a ton on that, and we just played it really well.“ Merrimack secured nine out of ten answers correctly in the 60-Second Round.

ConVal struggled initially but gained momentum, scoring a perfect 60-Second Round. Michaud said teamwork turned the tide in Round Four.

“I think everybody had a buzz-in in that round and was able to contribute,” he said.

ConVal's approach was described as “cautious but aggressive” in the final section. Merrimack entered Round Four with an 85-point lead, but ConVal closed the gap and took the lead during the final four questions.

Merrimack Coach Sara Campbell stated, “They played really hard. They played a good game. There were a lot of good answers, but ConVal just had a better day. They were a really good team.”

ConVal Coach Eric Bowman added, “Merrimack is a great team. Our guys just hung in there, and it came right down to the end.”

The next Granite State Challenge game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on March 12 on NHPBS.