10:30 A.M. - Second Match vs Group 12 (Room 4)
After a brief break, we regrouped for our second match of the day — against Group 12, led by Ethan Blake from Class C.
As both teams settled into their places, the atmosphere shifted- quieter, more focused, charged with quiet tension. The buzzers and the monitor were tested before the match, and the coordinators took their positions.
Nolan Marshall, the sophomore coordinator assigned to our room, smiled faintly.
"Alright, Group 11 and Group 12- ready?"
Both sides nodded.
"The first subject," he announced, glancing at the slip drawn by Ethan, "is General Knowledge."
My teammate Avery Lynch leaned forward and whispered, "We've got this."
The questions came one after another. Group 12 was sharp and quick on the buzzer, but we managed to stay a step ahead, winning by just two points.
Next came Geography- and Ethan Blake's group completely dominated. Their answers came the moment the questions ended. We tried to keep up, but the round went their way.
Round three was Literature- my specialty.
I buzzed in first on three consecutive questions. As the questions came, we answered most of them as we took that round decisively.
Round four, Current Affairs, turned into a back-and-forth battle. Both sides traded points evenly until Group 12 pulled ahead at the end.
After six quiz rounds, the scoreboard showed 3–3- perfectly tied.
Then came the Essay Round. I wasn't chosen this time. The topic drawn was The Role of Technology in Modern Education.
Our writers moved her pens swiftly. When the evaluators reviewed both essays, we edged out a win by the smallest margin.
Next was the Speech Round. Ryan Neal and I represented us, delivering a confident, well-structured argument about teamwork and leadership. Our calm tone and sharp points earned us another win.
By the Word Guessing Round came, our focus didn't waver. Smooth coordination carried us through the round- but we lost the round.
Finally came the Teacher Round. Ethan drew Physics as the subject. The questions were brutal — vector equations, conceptual reasoning, motion graphs. We trailed midway but turned it around in the final two questions, sealing a tight 3–2 win.
When the final scoreboard flashed 6–4, our group erupted into quiet cheers and high-fives.
Two matches down- both victories.
As we gathered our materials and stepped out of the room, I caught the smiles of my teammates- tired but proud.
"One more match to go for the day," I murmured as we headed out for lunch.
The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. The gym gradually emptied as students poured into the courtyard and hallways, laughter and conversation echoing off the walls. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, and the aroma of food drifted from the cafeteria.
Our group found an empty table in the waiting area with our lunch trays from the cafeteria- quiet corner with a clear view of the bracket board pinned outside the gym. We unpacked our lunches- sandwiches, juice boxes, and a lot of restless energy.
Third Bracket - Standings (After Morning Matches)
Group Matches Win Loss
G10 2 2 0
G11 2 2 0
G9 2 1 1
G27 2 1 1
G12 2 1 1
G25 2 1 1
G28 2 0 2
G26 2 0 2
Group Rounds Win Rounds Lost Points Diff
G10. 15 5 +10
G11 13 7 +6
G9 12 8 +4
G27 10 10 0
G12 9 11 -2
G25 8 12 -4
G28 6 14 -8
G26 5 15 -10
Ashley Boone took a sip of water and leaned back. "Two wins before lunch. I'd say that's a strong start for day one."
Ryan Neal grinned. "Indeed, strong start. We beat the two groups comfortably in the bracket."
Avery Lynch looked through the standings on the board. "Group 10- our next opponent is in the top though- two wins and a higher round margin. They're sitting at +10; we're at +6."
Ashley Boone frowned slightly. "So if we win our next match, we'll go on to the top, right?"
"Yeah," Avery Lynch said, glancing at the numbers."
Ryan Neal smirked. "So it's not just about winning- who ll get to the top."
"Exactly," Ashley Boone agreed, tapping her drink thoughtfully. "The coordinators are counting every round's score difference. If there's a tie in total wins, the round margin decides who leads the bracket."
For a moment, the table went quiet- everyone processing the possibility.
Then Noah Jackson said, "We've been solid so far, but we hesitated a couple of times in the Accounting and Geography round earlier. We can't afford that again."
Avery Lynch nodded. "Yeah, I almost buzzed on one question but thought you were about to."
"Let's tighten our signals," Ashley Boone said firmly. "Quick calls. No second-guessing."
Ryan Neal raised his drink can with a grin. "Then here's to sharper teamwork- and taking the top spot to advance to the knockouts."
We all laughed softly, clinking cans in mock cheers. The tension faded, replaced by quiet determination.
As we packed up to head back inside the gym, a familiar spark of focus settled over us.
Two matches down, one to go- and it was the one that could decide everything.