(drum roll) - Welcome to season nine of High School Quiz Show Maine.

We have 16 schools from across the state competing to be this year's champion and take home the a thousand dollars prize for their school's Project Graduation.

In our second qualifying match of the year, it's the Navigators of Falmouth High School (bright music) taking on the Eagles of Erskine Academy.

(bright music) That's coming up next on High School Quiz Show Maine.

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Thank you.

- Welcome to season nine of High School Quiz Show Maine.

I'm your host, Todd Guntner.

We have 16 schools competing to be the season nine champion and the a thousand dollars grand prize for their school's Project Graduation.

Our second match of the season is a lot like our first with a veteran taking on a newcomer.

The Navigators of Falmouth are making their sixth appearance on the show, which includes two trips to the finals, but they have yet to win it all.

The Eagles of Erskine Academy in China are hoping their very first time ends with a championship crown.

Let's get things going by meeting the teams.

For Falmouth, we have Aodhan, Emmy, Felicity, and Nate, and they're coached by Mike Casey.

And for Erskine Academy we have Taisen, Donovan, Ivy, and Carter with alternates, Elijah and Jeremiah, and they're coached by Mike Soul and Jen Tiven.

Now the competition, of course, has four rounds.

We have the toss up round, the head-to-head round, the category round, the lightning round.

We'll start with the toss up round.

All answers are worth 10 points, and this is the only round with no point deductions for wrong answers.

Players must wait for me to complete the question, and if one team answers incorrectly, the other team will be given a chance to answer that question.

Are you guys ready to roll?

All right, here comes the first round and the first question.

What current capital city of Germany was divided by a wall from the 1960s until 1989?

(bell chiming) - Berlin.

- Aodhan?

Yes, Berlin is the right answer.

During photosynthesis, plants take in what gas and release oxygen into the atmosphere?

(bell chiming) Go ahead, Nate.

- Carbon dioxide.

- That is also correct.

What noun can refer to a piece of equipment used in baseball or the only mammal capable of true flight?

(bell chiming) Donovan.

- Bat.

- Bat is right.

A boy named Finn and his magical dog Jake, are the main characters in what animated series that originally aired on Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2018?

(bell chiming) Donovan again.

- Adventure Time.

- That's also correct.

Up next, we have a picture question.

Take a look at the monitor here.

Here's the question.

On June 12th, 1775, a group of Americans aboard the lumber sloop Unity banded together to capture this British armed schooner in the first naval battle of the American Revolution in Machias, Maine.

What is the name of the British schooner?

(buzzer sounding) The answer is the HMS Margaretta.

All right, onto the next question.

In March, 2025, NASA confirmed that which planet, known for its highly visible gas rings, has 274 moons in its orbit?

(bell chiming) Go ahead, Emmy.

- Saturn.

- Saturn, right.

In September, 2024, Ryan Seacrest took over for Pat Sajak as the host of what longtime running TV game show?

(bell chiming) (buzzer sounding) We got in there.

Donovan?

- Wheel of Fortune.

- That's right.

Nice job.

In a fraction, the number below the line is the denominator.

What related term refers to the number above the line?

(bell chiming) Jason?

- Numerator.

- Numerator.

Right.

In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt became the first sitting US president to travel outside the country when he visited what Central American nation where a canal was being constructed?

(bell chiming) Felicity?

- Panama.

- Panama, right, yes.

Next up we have a video question, so once again we're gonna go to the monitor.

- Hi, I'm Aislinn Sarnacki, the host of Borealis on Maine Public Television, and here's my question for you.

What Maine seabird, that's black and white and has a colorful beak, can flap wings up to 400 beats per minute, fly 55 miles per hour and dive 200 feet into the water?

(bell chiming) - Jason?

- The puffin.

- The puffin is correct.

Nice job.

What major US river named for a state actually flows through or borders six states beginning in Pennsylvania and ending in Illinois?

(bell chiming) Go ahead, Ivy.

- The Ohio River.

- The Ohio, yes.

After seeing something ridiculous on social media, a person respond by typing: SMH, which in this case, refers to what action indicating disbelief?

(bell chiming) Felicity.

- Shaking my head.

- Yeah, shaking my head.

US Presidents, Madison, Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, and Garfield all had what first name?

(bell chiming) Aodhan?

- James.

- James, yeah.

President Carter's first name was also James, but you know, he basically went by Jimmy.

Which of these describes something that is ubiquitous, rare and precious, quiet and secretive or widespread and common?

(bell chiming) Emmy.

- Widespread and common.

- That's the correct one.

All right, we have a math question now.

You may need the paper and pencil in front of you.

If the area of one face of a cube is 49 square inches, what is the length of the edge of the cube?

(bell chiming) Aodhan?

- Seven.

- Seven is the correct answer.

Nice job.

What lizard changes color, depending on its mood, has a tongue that's longer than its body and has eyes that move independently of each other?

(bell chiming) Go ahead, Emmy - Chameleon.

- Chameleon, yes.

A story by Oscar Wild begins with what title character having his picture painted?

(bell chiming) Emmy.

- Dorian Gray.

- That is correct.

What six letter word that comes from Russian is most often used for a very cold biome found above the Arctic Circle where almost all the vegetation is low growing plants and mosses?

(bell chiming) Nate?

- Tundra.

- Tundra is also right.

Maine was granted statehood in 1820 at the same time as what Midwestern state?

(bell chiming) Taisen?

- Missouri.

- Missouri, yes.

Of the following three elements, which has the highest atomic weight, iron, platinum, or tin?

(bell chiming) Taisen?

- Platinum.

- Yes.

A certain war that took place in 1898 resulted in what country giving control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States?

(bell chiming) Aodhan?

- Spain.

- Spain is right.

By definition, gingivitis is an inflammation of what part of the body?

(bell chiming) Ivy?

- The gums.

- The gums, yes.

Measuring around four feet and weighing up to 150 pounds on average, the South American capybara is the largest of what order of mammals?

(bell chiming) Taisen.

- Rodent.

- Rodent, yes.

All right, here's the other math question.

Get your paper and pencil ready.

If a driver travels 75 miles in 90 minutes, what is her average rate of speed in miles per hour?

(bell chiming) Nate?

- 50.

- 50 is right.

Nice job.

In 1801, what French naturalist published his theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics that influenced the later work of Charles Darwin?

(buzzer sounding) John Baptist Lamarck is the answer.

Artist Georgia O'Keeffe spent much of her life living and painting in the desert of what Southwestern US state?

(bell chiming) Taisen?

- New Mexico.

- You got it.

Was that a guess?

Good guess.

All right, that's the end of our first round.

We have a very close one, folks.

Falmouth, 130, Erskine Academy, 110.

Great match brewing right here.

Don't go anywhere.

We will meet the players when we get back.

(bright music) So before we go to the head-to-head round, we like to pause, we like to get to know our players with a slightly silly question.

Here's our question: If you could teleport anywhere after the show, where would you go?

So we'll start over here.

Falmouth and Aodhan, what's your thought on this one?

- I go to New Zealand.

- New Zealand?

Okay, I didn't see that one coming.

Why?

Have you been there before?

- I haven't been there before, but it's just really beautiful.

And also, I wanna see where they filmed Lord of the Rings.

- Oh, all right.

- That'd be cool.

- That'd be pretty awesome.

Yeah.

All right.

I like that.

Emmy, how about you?

- I'd wanna go to Greece.

- Greece, because of the food, maybe?

- I like Greek mythology.

- Oh, mythology.

Do you like the food too?

- Never had it.

- What?

All right, well, you might wanna try it before you go.

Thank you Emmy.

Felicity?

- I think I'd just go to the beach to relax, maybe read a book.

- It might be a little cold there.

- Yeah.

- Is that okay?

- Yeah, that's okay.

All right.

- That'd be nice.

- Sweet.

What book?

Do you have a book in mind?

Like what's your favorite book?

Do you have one?

- I don't know.

I'm reading The Invisible Man right now for English class.

- Okay.

Do you like it?

- Yeah, I like it.

- All right, sweet.

Nate, go ahead.

- I'd saved myself 40 minutes and teleport home.

- You did not have a good ride here then, apparently, huh?

- It's rainy.

- It is rainy, yes.

Thanks, Nate.

Taisen, Erskine Academy.

- I'm just gonna say wherever it's warm and there's no homework.

- Wherever it's warm and no homework.

Let's go with what's your favorite warm place that you've been to?

- Costa Rica.

- Costa Rica.

What did you do there that you love the most?

- It was a school trip.

We were building houses.

- Oh, that's awesome.

Good for you.

That's some giving back right there.

I like it.

Thanks, Jason.

Donovan?

- I would go to Japan.

- Japan, what about Japan do you like or do you want to see?

- I'm learning the language, so it would be a great opportunity to practice.

And there's also a lot of cool historical sites I'd like to see.

- Yeah, for sure.

All right, thanks, Donovan.

Ivy?

- I think I'd wanna check out London.

- London.

You've never been there, I assume?

- Nope.

- Is there something that intrigues you about London?

- I just, well, I'm a big fan of Harry Potter, so I'd like to go, you know- - Go there first, right?

- Yeah, - I like it.

Okay, Carter, go ahead.

- Probably Augusta National, play a round to golf.

- Ah, all right.

Now you wanna play golf or you don't wanna go see the masters?

- Oh, both.

- You wanna do both?

- Yeah.

- Are you a big golfer?

- Yeah, I like to be.

- What's your best score?

Have you gotten, you know, like say for for nine holes?

- Nine holes, 39.

- 39.

- 38.

- Oh, you wanna correct, 38.

All right.

Nice job.

That's pretty solid.

All right, thanks guys.

That was a lot of fun.

The head-to-head round is next.

Let's see how well you do with our viewer question of the week.

(bright music) - Hi, I'm Casey Turner from Bangor Savings Bank and here is your America at 250 viewer question of the week.

Thompson's War was a 1775 confrontation in Portland when members of the Brunswick Militia captured Captain Henry Mowat of the HMS Canceaux.

What did the militia members wear as part of their uniform to represent Maine?

The answer is a sprig from a spruce tree.

They also carried small spruce trees in their boats, which remain as the official naval ensign of Massachusetts.

- Welcome back.

It's time now for the head-to-head round.

Players alternate facing off one-on-one, right here at the desk.

Correct answers are worth 10 points.

Incorrect answers will cost you 10 points.

We have 90 seconds on our game clock.

Here we go.

Here's the first question.

The Eiffel Tower is a landmark in what major city of Europe?

(bell chiming) Right here.

- Paris.

- Yes.

Next question.

Malaria is spread by the bite of what insect?

(bell chiming) - Mosquito.

- Yes.

Who was vice president of the United States during Donald Trump's first term?

(bell chiming) - Mike Pence.

- Good job.

Dr.

No and Goldfinger are movies that feature what spy character.

(buzzer sounding) James Bond.

Which precious gem measures 10 on the Mohs hardness scale?

(bell chiming) - Diamond.

- Yes, Diamond.

How long is a term for a member of the US House of Representatives?

(buzzer sounding) Two years.

What is the name of the big red dog in the children's books by Norman Bridwell?

(bell chiming) Over here.

- Clifford.

- Clifford, good.

What is the five letter name for molten rock trapped beneath the Earth's surface?

(bell chiming) - Magma.

- Magma, right.

Before becoming US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio was a senator from which state?

(bell chiming) - Florida.

- Yes, Florida.

Sojourner and Curiosity are NASA rovers that explored which planet?

Over here.

- Mars.

- Yes, Mars.

What major Tennessee city takes its name from a capital of ancient Egypt?

(buzzer sounding) Memphis.

The Three Gorges Dam is located on what major river of China?

(buzzer sounding) The Yangtze.

And that is the end of our round.

We still have a tight one though.

Falmouth has 190.

Erskine Academy has 130.

The category round is next, so don't go away.

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Learn more at worthingtonscholars.org.

- The custodians clean the schools.

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I've learned over the years that becoming involved with MEA makes a big difference.

It takes everybody's collective voice to make a change.

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Thank you.

(bright music) - Next up is the category round with the following choices.

I'll "B" there.

The subject was roses.

Page turners.

More to explore.

Chew and swallow, and French twist.

Each team will alternate control of two categories.

Questions have increasing point values.

With each question, they can choose to answer it and either gain or lose points.

They can skip it and neither gain nor lose points.

Or once per category, they can toss it and force the other team to answer.

Players will have about five seconds to confer and decide what to do.

Erskine, you're trailing just so slightly.

Taisen, you have control of the board, what do you want to go with?

- I think we're gonna go with page turners.

- Page turners, so these are gonna be questions about popular books.

Here's the first one for 10 points.

The novel, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire is a retelling of what classic fairy tale involving glass slippers?

- Cinderella.

- You got it.

Page turners for 15.

Four high school students are the main characters and the suspects in a 2017 crime novel by Karen M. McManus, where according to the title, one of them is doing what?

- Lying.

- Lying is also right.

Page turners for 20.

In a 2011 dark fantasy book by Ransom Riggs, what character is Head Mistress of the Home for Peculiar Children?

- Ms.

Peregrine.

- You got it.

Page Turners, 25.

The title of a bestselling 2021 memoir by Michelle Zauner mentions crying in what Korean chain grocery store.

- Skip.

- You wanna skip it?

So the answer is H Mart.

The last one in page turners, this will be for 30 points.

The award-winning book, James, by Perceval Everett, reimagines the story of a character called Jim in what novel by Mark Twain?

- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

- You got it.

Nice job.

All right, we're gonna head over to Falmouth now.

Your first category will be what, Aodhan?

- I'll "B" there.

- I'll "B" there.

Your answers to these geography questions will begin with the letter B. Here's the first one.

Victoria is the capital and Vancouver is the most populous city in which Canadian province?

- British Columbia?

- Yes.

I'll "B" there, 15.

The main campus of University of Colorado is in which city whose name refers to a giant rock?

- Boulder.

- Boulder, right.

I'll "B" there, 20.

Which landlocked Himalayan country located between India and China has a name beginning with B and a dragon on its national flag.

- Bhutan.

- Bhutan.

Nice job.

I'll "B" there for 25.

A national park that covers 244,000 acres of South Dakota has what name beginning with B that implies the terrain is difficult to cross.

- Skip.

- You wanna skip that?

- Yeah.

All right, the answer is Badlands, Badlands National Park.

I'll "B" there for 30.

This is the last one.

There's a park dedicated to Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in which city, that is the capital of Columbia?

- Bogota.

- Bogota is right.

All right, we're gonna head over, back over to Erskine.

Taisen, what's your second category gonna be?

- I think we're gonna go with more to explore.

- More to explore, these are questions about historic exploration.

Here's the first one.

In May, 1541, Spanish Explorer Hernando DeSoto led a group to what major North American river that flows past the present day cities of St.

Louis, Memphis and New Orleans.

- The Mississippi River.

- That's right.

More to explore for 15.

In 1911, British explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, and Norwegian Explorer Roald Amundsen led competing expeditions to reach what extreme geographic point on Earth Amendsen group got there first.

Scott's group arrived about a month later.

- The North Pole.

- It's the other one, it's the South Pole.

Here's more to explore for 20.

A mountain in Acadia National Park in a lake situated between New York and Vermont, both are named for what French Explorer who founded the city of Quebec?

- We're gonna toss.

- You wanna throw it over to Falmouth?

Okay.

Falmouth, I'll reread the question for you.

A mountain in Acadia National Park and a lake situated between New York and Vermont, both their named for what French Explorer who founded the city of Quebec?

- Champlain.

- Champlain is right.

Nice job, Falmouth.

We're gonna go back to Erskine though.

You still have two more questions in this category.

The 15th century Chinese Admiral Zheng He led expeditions to destinations as far away as Africa and brought home all sorts of treasures, including what very tall African mammal that was presented as a gift to the Chinese emperor?

- Giraffe.

- A giraffe is right.

More to explore now for 30, last one in the category.

In 1902, a Peruvian explorer named Agustin Lizarraga discovered the remains of Machu Picchu, the last major city of what ancient empire that flourished in Peru until 1533.

- The Inca.

- The Inca is correct, and you finished up your category with a correct answer.

Nice job.

All right, we're going back to Falmouth.

Aodhan, your last category will be?

- Chew and swallow.

- Chew and swallow.

Questions about the human digestive system.

Here we go.

When you swallow food, it travels from the pharynx to the stomach through what muscular tube located behind the trachea?

- Esophagus?

- Yes.

Chew and swallow, 15.

When food leaves your stomach, it enters which digestive organ that measures about 22 feet in length?

- Small intestine.

- You got the right intestine.

Chew and swallow, 20.

What yellow/green digestive fluid that helps the body break down fats is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder?

- Bile.

- Bile, also correct.

Chew and swallow, 25.

What word that begins with P is the name for the involuntary muscle contractions that cause food to travel through your digestive system?

- Peristalsis.

- That's correct.

Nice job Felicity.

Chew and swallow, 30.

Saliva produced in your mouth contains what enzyme that begins the process of breaking down carbohydrates?

- Amylase.

- You guys are great.

Nice job.

All right.

That wraps up our category round.

We have a score of Falmouth, 385, Erskine Academy, 255, but everything can change in the lightning round, so sit tight, we'll be right back.

(bright music) Okay, we're heading into the final 90 seconds of game play, the lightning round.

Players, you do not have to wait for me to finish the question.

You can buzz in at any time, but do not answer until I call your name.

You get 20 points for each correct answer.

Incorrect answers will cost you 20 and the other team does not get the chance to answer.

Our clock is set.

Good luck both of you.

Here we go with the first question.

Mexican soldiers defeated the Texans at what Texas mission in 1836?

(bell chiming) Taisen?

- The Alamo?

- Yes.

The volcanic region called the Ring of Fire circles the edges of which Ocean?

(bell chiming) Aodhan?

- Pacific?

- Yes.

What is the name for the side opposite a right angle in a right triangle?

(bell chiming) Nate.

- Hypotonus.

- Right.

Maine's first professional soccer club is what team?

(bell chiming) Nate?

- Hearts of Pine.

- Got it.

Bueno Aires is the capital city of- (bell chiming) Nate, Taisen?

- Argentina.

- You got that.

The adjective olfactory relates to which of the five senses?

(bell chiming) - Smell.

- Ivy.

- Sorry.

Smell is correct.

What is the home of the gods in Greek mythology?

(bell chiming) Aodhan?

- Mount Olympus.

- Right.

Which of the Great Lakes is the primary water source for the city of Chicago?

(bell chiming) Jason?

- Lake Erie.

- Incorrect, Michigan.

About 85% of the world's Muslims belong to which branch of Islam?

(buzzer sounding) Sunni.

What man founded Rhode Island after he was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

(buzzer sounding) Roger Williams.

One square yard is equal to how many square feet?

(bell chiming) Ivy?

- Three.

- Nine.

The headquarters of the Mormon church is in what Utah City?

(bell chiming) - Salt Lake City.

- Salt Lake.

What is the four letter name for the giant stone statues on Easter Island?

(buzzer sounding) Moai.

What fruit is dried to make raisins?

(bell chiming) Carter?

- Grapes.

- Got it.

In what country would you find, (bell ringing) ooh, that's the end of our lightning round and we have a score of, and our winner is Falmouth at 485 points.

Erskine Academy, you had 295, a great showing.

Congratulations both teams.

Thanks for being here.

Be sure to tune in next time as Yarmouth takes on Hampden Academy.

Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time on High School Quiz show Maine.

(bright music) - [Announcer] Production support for High School Quiz Show Maine is provided by: - [Announcer] Energy fuels more than homes and businesses.

It fuels dreams, ideas, and growth.

Unitil champions the critical thinkers and team players of tomorrow and is proud to support High School Quiz Show Maine where Learning takes center stage.

Welcome to another edition of New England Survivalists, the game we all get to play.

Prepare to win.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance and learn more at the resource center at safetyinsurance.com.

- [Announcer] Since 1852, Bangor Savings Bank has been dedicated to keeping New Englanders at the heart of what they do.

That means investing in communities they serve and supporting families and businesses.

You matter more.

- [Announcer] And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(bright music) (bright music continues)