SSFS Quiz Bowl Team Update - January 2026

Nowhere is the SSFS “small but mighty” theme more evident than in the interscholastic accomplishments of our Upper School. The SSFS Quiz Bowl team, a perennial powerhouse, continues to earn outsized accomplishments, competing at the very highest level against Goliaths from across the county. Most recently, the SSFS Quiz Bowl Team traveled to Walter Johnson High School for Round 5 of the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL)—the final and most demanding round of the regular season, where they won every round against three of Montgomery County’s most accomplished academic teams (#3 Bethesda–Chevy Chase A, #4 Magruder, and #1 Blair A). See below for the MABL Round 5 post-match summary by Quiz Bowl Coach Eduardo Polón.

Post-Match Summary of MABL Round 5

Led by Justin (Captain), Nate, Ian, Steve, Benji, Catherine, and Henry, SSFS hit the road on Jan. 15 for Round 5 of this season’s Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL), hosted at Walter Johnson High School. The day featured three head-to-head matches against Bethesda–Chevy Chase A (BCC A), Magruder, and Blair A.

Round 5 marks the final round of the regular season, with results used to determine playoff seeding for the Top 16 of the league’s 24 teams. Known as the Up-and-Down Round, it is notoriously demanding, as teams face those ranked immediately above and below them. While SSFS had already secured a playoff berth regardless of the outcomes, the challenge ahead was unmistakable: a gauntlet featuring #3 BCC A (11–1–0, 530 points/game), #4 Magruder (11–1–0, 567 points/game), and #1 Blair A (12–0–0, 667 points/game).

That said, there is no better preparation for the playoffs than competing against the very best the league has to offer.

On the drive to Walter Johnson, in an effort to help the team settle, center, and reconnect with purpose, I invited everyone to reflect on why they choose to do Quiz Bowl. With no wrong answers, responses ranged from “I like the competition” and “It’s fun,” to “I love being on this team,” “I like the people involved,” and “I love how much I learn and gain from participating.”

I then asked our captain, Justin, to read aloud the following:
As part of a collection of tales, in 1885, Russian Count Leo Tolstoy published a short story titled The Three Questions. Framed as a parable, it follows a king in search of answers to what he believes are life’s most important questions:

• When is the best time to do things?
• Who is the most important one?
• What is the right thing to do?

A wise hermit ultimately offers these answers:

• The most important time is now.
• The most important person is the one you are with.
• The right thing to do is to do good for the one standing at your side.

This is why we are here.

This is how it went…

MABL ROUND 5 (SSFS 3-0-0) and (1,365 PF – 1,220 PA):

• vs. BCC A - W (500-385)
• vs. Magruder - W (410-405)
• vs. Blair A - W (455-430)

SSFS AVERAGE POINTS PER GAME: 455
SSFS POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 407

Game 1 pitted #2 SSFS against #3 BCC A. While we were ranked slightly higher, both teams entered the match with identical league records (11–1–0). What separated us was a razor-thin 40-point per game differential—essentially the equivalent of two 20-point questions. In other words, almost nothing distinguished these two excellent teams, and we had not yet faced one another this season.

We trailed after the first round (140–160), the second round (180–240), and the third round (270–300). As is often the case in MABL play, the match was ultimately decided in the fourth and final Bonus Round. There, SSFS claimed 8 of the final 12 questions, while BCC secured only 2; the remaining 2 went unanswered. In the Bonus Round, answering the main question correctly earns a team the opportunity to score additional points through bonus questions.

Despite the appearance of an impressive comeback victory (500–385), we agreed afterward that this was not a strong performance. We are honest with ourselves about the difference between a good win and a bad win, just as we distinguish between a good loss and a bad loss. This was a bad win—one marked by a lack of sharpness and cohesion, and aided by a number of unforced errors by BCC. Those mistakes often allowed us the advantage of hearing their full, ill-timed buzzes before capitalizing. That said, we were proud of the team’s never-surrender attitude, which kept us alive and consistently pressured BCC into rushing their buzzes.

Game 2 was another exceptionally challenging matchup: a rematch against Magruder, who also entered the day at 11–1–0. Their lone loss had come against SSFS in the most recent round (Round 4). The parallels were uncanny—the difference between the two teams amounted to a mere three points per game (SSFS at 570, Magruder at 567). Adding to the intensity, we knew Magruder would view this as an opportunity to avenge their only defeat.

True to form, the match came down to the final question. Magruder buzzed first and answered the primary question correctly. Had they converted all three bonus questions, they would have won. Fortunately for us, they answered only two of the three, resulting in the narrowest—and admittedly fortunate—5-point victory for SSFS. It truly does not get any closer than that.

Game 3 was the matchup everyone in the league had been waiting for: #1 Blair versus #2 SSFS. Our only loss of the season had come at Blair’s hands in Round 2 (425–540), making this a redemption opportunity for us.

In the first half, we dug ourselves into a hole due to overly aggressive buzzes that resulted in incorrect answers. With the bounceback rule in play, this allowed Blair the luxury of hearing the entire question before responding—a near guarantee of points for a team of their caliber (as well as for teams like us, Magruder, and BCC). As a result, we trailed 180–240 at the half and 240–360 heading into the Bonus Round.

Once again, our small-but-mighty team refused to fold. We steadily clawed our way back and eventually built a precarious 25-point lead. It all came down to the final buzz, worth a total of 35 points with bonuses. SSFS buzzed first but could not answer correctly. The question bounced back to Blair—and in a rare twist of fate, they too missed it—securing the victory for SSFS. Notably, Blair, who had been averaging 607 points per game, was held to just 430 against us.

In the end, I was immensely proud of our performances today. We knew these matches would be decided by the smallest of margins, and SSFS went toe-to-toe with three MCPS giants and more than held our own. SSFS finished the round 3–0–0 and completed the MABL regular season at 14–1–0.

Along the way, our small-but-mighty team faced 15 MCPS schools, including Blair A twice. In fact, over the past year, SSFS has faced Blair five times—and holds a 3–2–0 record in those matchups. Not too shabby.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Looking ahead, the MABL Semifinal Round will take place on Thursday, February 5, at TBD High School. From this point forward, the margin for error disappears as we enter the single-elimination phase of the season. In that sense, being reminded of our mortality on the eve of the playoffs is not a bad thing at all—it sharpens focus and steels resolve.

As Dylan Thomas urged his father, this is the moment to “not go gentle into that good night” but to “rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Today’s matches served as an important reminder that survival at this stage requires intensity, resilience, and clarity of purpose.

I am confident we are better for today’s experiences. To borrow from author Sherrilyn Kenyon, “The strongest steel is forged by the fires of hell.” It is reheated, struck, and tested repeatedly—gaining flexibility from the fire and strength from the blows. Those twin forces prepare it to withstand every battle it is called upon to fight. That is precisely the process this team is undergoing at exactly the right time.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

SSFS’s It’s Academic Opening Round victory against Landon and Whitman is scheduled to air on WETA on March 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., with a rebroadcast at 7:00 p.m. The episode will also be available for streaming on WETA’s YouTube channel, offering multiple opportunities to tune in.

DID YOU KNOW?

We learned from Blair that they captured this year’s modified and abbreviated It’s Academic championship, defeating Poolesville and St. Albans in the finals. As a reminder, SSFS won its own It’s Academic Opening Round match back in November, defeating two strong programs—Landon and Whitman—but did not advance to the semifinals because advancement was limited to the eight highest point earners. That qualification system, while efficient, did not account for the relative strength of randomly assigned opponents. For context, this season SSFS defeated last year’s champions (Blake HS), this year’s runners-up (Poolesville), and this year’s champions (Blair). Perspective matters—and by any reasonable measure, SSFS has more than proven it belongs among the very best.