The 2023-2024 quiz bowl season has concluded with the Woodhaven Warriors establishing that they are a force to be reckoned with. With a final record of 8-4, the team has shown the vast extent of their intellectual prowess.
The Warriors quickly established themselves as a fierce competitor in their league defeating Flat Rock, Trenton, Taylor, and Airport in back to back matches. With scores of 310-90, 240-90, 315-145, and 375-235 respectively, their demonstration at these matches set the tone for a powerful season.
Their established rivalries with Trenton and Airport underscored the gravity of these wins; the Warriors’ rivalry with these teams was identified by the team’s captain, senior Grace Parkham. She added that these teams “play at a really high level,” making their overwhelming victories a high point early on.
However, in their last game before winter break, they faltered in a close match against Dearborn, losing by a single question. Parkham did not let this loss throw her off and instead stated that “the match was very stressful but also very exciting. When matches go back and forth it makes for an amazing match to watch and play.”
Though they returned facing a loss against Carlson, the team made a strong comeback against Huron, ending with a score of 325-170. They maintained this momentum in their match against Southgate Anderson—scoring 315 to Southgate’s 130—before losing to Lincoln Park.
The team made it to the league semi-finals as the 5th seed and competed to beat #12 Trenton—they succeeded, ending with a score of 295-235. In the following game against #4 Wyandotte Roosevelt, the Warriors had nearly met their match, but they rallied to win by 10 points. They ultimately fell in their third match against #1 Edsel Ford.
The Warriors’ tenacity continued to shine outside of formal competition as they fought hard in the student versus staff game and in an unofficial match against Mr. Weimer. They lost against the staff but defeated the team’s sponsor, Mr. Weimer. Sophomore Eva Smith remarked “It went really well. We were trailing for the better part of the game, and we did a really good job coming back from that and winning.”
While the members’ talent contributed to their success, Parkham largely attributed their successful season to the team’s diligence during their weekly practices.
The team will need to adjust next year when they lose their senior players, but they set a precedent this year: quiz bowl is unstoppable.
