Two local schools place in state Scholar Bowl

By Brad Ziegler

The 29th annual Missouri State Scholar Bowl Championship was held last weekend at the University of Missouri in Columbia and two south Kansas City schools reached the final rounds in their classes.  More than 250 high schools across the state competed in Scholars Bowl events and eight teams in each of six classes of schools participated in the championship tournament.  Each of those teams had earned the right to compete in Columbia by winning their respective district tournaments.

Scholar Bowls are team competitions which pit two teams of four players against each other to answer questions on a wide variety of academic topics.  The contents of the questions are taken from high school level course work ranging from mathematics to fine arts, and science to literature. Questions are presented to both teams and the first team to buzz in with a correct answer can earn additional points by answering follow-up bonus questions.

Lutheran High School defeated Oak Grove in the first round of the state championships in Class 4 but fell to Winfield High School in the next round and finished fourth.  It was their second fourth place finish in the school’s fifteen-year history in the tournament and their third highest finish.

The head coach of the Kansas City Lutheran High School team, Brittany Matthews, says that to be successful, “it helps to have students from all grades participate, as you never know which topic will be covered.”  She said that the Lutheran High School team is also diverse in their backgrounds and other interests.  “Our Scholar Bowl team includes student athletes, performers, and students that are heavily involved in multiple after school activities,” she explained. “It has been a joy coaching these eight students as it has encouraged bonds between freshman and seniors that may not have taken place otherwise.”

Rockhurst High School advanced to the Class 5 state championships after winning the District 7 championship at Center High School.  It was their second trip to the state championships since the Scholar Bowl team was reactivated during the 2021-2022 school year and their 2024 District Championship followed an undefeated regular season for the Hawklets. 

Rockhurst’s team is made up almost entirely of underclassmen, with only one senior on the fourteen person team, and Assistant Coach Alex Dobens believes that “the Scholars Bowl team allows them to bring their various backgrounds and interests together to celebrate their eclectic knowledge.” He said that “Scholar Bowl is a great outlet for our boys to show their talents, compete at a high level, and become successful.”

Rockhurst defeated Jefferson City in the semifinals to win third place at the state championships and Coach Dobens said that “All four team members in that last round answered toss-up questions.  That round really demonstrated Head Coach Dr. Leo Hirner’s ideal for the school’s program where everyone contributes towards a win.”