Thursday, October 5th
A new day dawned- the continuation of the Third Bracket matches. The atmosphere across foreman grade was sharper, more focused. As Day 2 would see fourteen matches, each one crucial for the standings.
Day 2 - Match Schedule (14 Matches Total)
08:00 – 10:00 (Slot 1)
Room 1: G28 vs G11
Room 2: G9 vs G10
Room 3: G25 vs G26
Room 4: G27 vs G12
10:30 – 12:30 (Slot 2)
Room 1: G9 vs G12
Room 2: G25 vs G11
Room 3: G26 vs G10
Room 4: G27 vs G28
1:00 – 3:00 (Slot 3)
Room 1: G9 vs G11
Room 2: G12 vs G10
Room 3: G26 vs G27
3:30 – 5:30 (Slot 4)
Room 1: G9 vs G28
Room 2: G11 vs G27
Room 3: G25 vs G26
Day 2 Total Matches: 14
The morning light spilled softly across the courtyard as groups began gathering near their designated gyms and rooms.
The air buzzed with a mix of strategy, nerves, and quiet determination. Coordinators moved briskly between halls, clipboards in hand, while the scoreboard team prepped the displays for another long day ahead.
After the intensity of Day 1, everyone knew what was at stake now. The standings were tight, and one strong performance or one costly mistake could change everything.
Group Eleven arrived early, scanning the schedule posted beside the gym doors. Their first opponents: Group Twenty-Eight, the opening challenge of the morning.
Ashley Boone studied the chart, then turned to the others with a calm smile. "Alright," she said. "Let's start strong."
Meanwhile, infront of the entrance of Room 2, Jessie Robinson's Group Ten was already warming up, their laughter echoing faintly through the crisp October air.
It was the calm before another storm of competition- the beginning of Day 2.
08:00 A.M. - Room 1: Group 28 vs Group 11
The hallway outside Room 1 hummed with low conversation and the soft shuffle of shoes on tile. The early chill still lingered, mingling with the faint scent of marker ink and freshly printed schedules.
Ashley Boone stood in front of the door, arms folded loosely, eyes skimming the posted bracket one last time. "Group Twenty-Eight," she murmured under her breath. "They're led by Zion Gibbs from Class F, right?"
Ryan Neal nodded. "Yeah. Fast on their feet, if I remember right. They crushed Group 25 yesterday."
A moment later, our sophomore coordinator, Harper Jenkins, arrived with her clipboard. "Room 1's ready. You can head in now."
We filed through the door, the familiar scrape of chairs greeting us. The fhuorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead.
Group 28 was seated at their table- calm, focused, their confidence quiet but unmistakable.
Ashley Boone offered a polite nod. "Good morning. Let's have a fair match."
Their leader, Zion Gibbs from Class F, returned it with a small, steady smile. "Morning."
At the front, the supervising coordinator, Nolan Marshall, adjusted the mic. "Alright," he said. "Both groups are present. Let's begin."
He lifted the subject box. "Group 28 leader, please draw for the first round."
Zion Gibbs reached forward and drew a folded slip of paper. He opened it slowly.
"General Science," he announced.
A murmur rippled through both teams as the captains assigned their five participants for the round.
The first question came fast. Group 28 buzzed first answering correctly.
As the round continued, questions fired one after another, both sides answering confidently. For a while, it was back and forth- one point to us, one to them — but in the end, Group 28 edged ahead and took the round.
Ashley Boone drew the next subject slip, Social Studies and the tone shifted. Group 28 started strong, taking the first two questions- but we caught our rhythm quickly, answering in rapid succession. By the final buzzer, we'd overtaken them.
Next subject drawn by Zion Gibbs is Ethics.
The questions flicked across the projector screen in quick succession.
Finley Ashford, our assigned member for the round, was lightning-fast- his hand on the buzzer before the second sentence finished. Group 28 faltered, regrouped, but by then it was too late as we clinched the victory.
After six quiz rounds, the scoreboard showed:
Group 11 - 4 Group 28 - 2
Then the Essay Round began with Zion Gibbs drawing the topic: Technology and Human Connection - A Modern Paradox.
Ashley Boone and I took the writing seats. Across from us, Zion Gibbs and his teammate wrote quickly, barely pausing between sentences.
The time ran out too soon. We exchanged our sheets, and the coordinators began reviewing them quietly. The results were close- but our essay edged ahead by two points.
For the Speech Round, Ashley Boone chose Ellis Cohen and Miles Dalton for the speeches. Their delivery was calm and steady, heartfelt without overrehearsal. Group 28's speakers followed with equal composure- confident, articulate, and slightly more refined in tone.
When the tallies were complete, the coordinators announced:
Round: Group 28 wins.
Finally, the Teacher's Round began. The room grew still. Though Group 28 couldn't win the match, they were determined to end on a high note.
Questions flew across the room, buzzers lighting up on both sides. Back and forth, one correct answer after another.
Finally, Nicole Dean, our last participant for the round, hit the buzzer and answered cleanly- the final question. And we took the round.
Final Score - Group 11: 7 Group 28: 3
Zion Gibbs stood and extended a hand as we began to pack up. "You guys were strong," he said sincerely. "One of the best matches we've had."
Ashley Boone shook it, smiling. "Same to you. Thank you for the match."
As we stepped into the hallway, sunlight spilled through the high windows, painting golden stripes across the floor. Students moved past, chatting, laughing softly as they waited for the next match to begin.
For a moment, we sat in the waiting area, catching our breath, watching the clock tick closer to 10:30+ the time for our next challenge: Group 25.