Watch PCHS Kids Competing In 'The Challenge' Tomorrow Night on MSG Varsity

Local viewers will have a home team to cheer for on the MSG network tomorrow night, and it isn't the lowly Knicks.

A squad from Port Chester High School will appear on MSG Varsity, taking on rivals White Plains High School in the popular area quiz show, "The Challenge."

The five team members earned their spots after competing in trials at PCHS, then turned their attention toward the hard work of prepping for the wide range of subject material covered on the high school game show.

"We had weekly practices, and for an hour each week we used past Challenges," said Olivia Nadler, who served as the team's alternate.

Topics range from familiar school fare, like math, history and geography, to subjects outside academia, like pop culture.

Each student was chosen for a specialty area of knowledge, said teacher Barry Backelman, who taught each of the competitors in ninth-grade classes and served as an advisor for the team.

"When we created the team, we had an eye towards" specialties," Backelman said. "I knew what their strengths were going into it."

As with other quiz shows, knowing is just half the battle. Scoring points requires speedy memory recall and quick buzzer reflexes.

Said Anika Krause, another team member: "You have to be on the ball basically the whole time."

Catch the Port Chester High School kids on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on MSG Varsity, Cablevision's iO TV, Channel 14.

Follow Port Chester Patch!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PortChesterPatch

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PChesterPatch