10:30 A.M. - Room 2: Group 25 vs Group 11
The short break between matches vanished faster than we expected. As the moment our post-match review ended, the hall speakers crackled to life with students heading to their respective rooms for their matches.
Inside Room 2, the blinds were drawn halfway to block the sharp glare of the late-morning sun. The low hum of the air conditioner filled the quiet as both teams took their seats.
Group 25's leader Lily Vance from Class H was seated in her seat with calm and composed expression.
As Ashley Boone offered a steady nod. "Let's have a good match." Lily Vance returned with a faint smile. "Sure."
At the front, our coordinator, Jaden Grey. adjusted his clipboard and spoke with crisp authority. "Both groups are ready. Group 25's leader, please draw for Round One."
Lily Vance stepped forward, drew a slip from the box, and read it aloud. "Geography."
The first question flashed onto the screen- and immediately, both buzzers sounded.
Group 25 struck first, quick and clean. Then another. And another. Their pace was relentless — sharp accuracy with no hesitation.
We regrouped near the end- Avery Lynch caught two fast points in a row — but the round slipped away.
Ashley Boone stepped forward for the next draw. As she drawn the slip from the box, the piece of paper has General Knowledge written on it.
Questions flew fast- landmarks, history, odd facts. Buzzers sounded from the both sides as one question after other were answered by the both sides. By the end, the scores were tied.
The coordinator Jaden Grey raised a hand. "Tiebreaker- one question."
The Tiebreaker question came:
'Which planet has the shortest rotation period?'
Avery's hand hit the buzzer. "Jupiter," she said firmly.
A pause. Then the nod. "Correct."
Round 2: Group 11 wins.
Five rounds later, the score stood at 4–1 in our favor. When Lily Vance drew Ethics for Round 6, her faint smile returned- confident.
The first few questions leaned toward philosophical- about responsibility, empathy, and truth. Finley Ashford handled them well, answering with a calm. But Group 25 made a comeback, nailing the final two questions correctly resulting in their win. With that round completed, we are in lead with 4-2.
Then the Essay Round came with Ashley Boone drawing the topic: Modern Education vs. Traditional Values - Finding the Balance.
Ashley Boone and Nicole Dean took the writing seats. Across from them, Lily Vance and her teammate moved their pens with machine-like rhythm.
When time was called, both essays were collected. We waited in silence as the coordinators skimmed the pages. Then came the verdict- Group 11 wins the Essay Round.
Cheers rose softly from both sides as the following rounds- Speech and Word Guessing- were neck-and-neck resulting in victory for both sides respectively.
Finally, Teacher Round came. Ashley Boone reached into the subject box and drew a folded slip- Chemistry.
Complex equations and chemical principles came one after another. The buzzers flashed rapidly. Jenna Gardner, our group member as she answered the final question crrectly with a confident tone resulting in our group taking the round.
Final Score - Group 11: 7 Group 25: 3.
A burst of applause broke out around the room. Lily Vance smiled, shaking her head as she stood.
"That was exhausting," she said with a small laugh. "But a great match. You earned it."
Ashley Boone extended her hand. "Same to you. That was intense."
Outside, sunlight streamed through the gym corridor. The hallway buzzed faintly with voices from other matches, a mixture of fatigue and adrenaline in the air.
We found a spot near the vending machines, collapsed onto the benches, and finally let ourselves breathe.
Ryan Neal tore open a sandwich wrapper and grinned. "Two matches down."
Ashley Boone leaned back against the wall, stretching her arms. "Two more to go," she said with a hint of determination beneath the fatigue.
Daisy Hart- our group member sipped her juice quietly, "Still second," she said, looking at the Third Bracket standings posted on the gym hall. "We're right behind Group 10."
Ryan Neal whistled. "Figures. They're the strongest group as we lost against them yesterday."
Ashley Boone nodded thoughtfully. "They also won their two morning matches as well."
Nicole Dean exhaled. "Yeah, they're still unbeatable."
Ryan Neal laughed under his breath. "Seams like it's difficult for us to climb to the top. If it's continues, we can only aim for second spot."
We sat there for a while- the taste of cold lunch, the faint sounds of distant voices of other groups. Ashley Boone finally stood, slipping on her jacket. "Alright," she said softly. "Let's go finish the day strong."
1:00 P.M. - Room 1: Group 11 vs Group 9
The lunch break passed like a slow breath before the plunge. By the time we reached Room 1, the afternoon sun had tilted across the high windows, painting long, slanted bands of light across the floor. The air inside was cooler, quiet- the calm before another wave of competition.
At the far end, Group 9 was already setting up. Their leader Cole Becker- Class Vice Representative of Class D, sat upright, flipping through his notes with quick precision.
Ashley Boone led us in, our footsteps echoing softly against the tiled floor.
She gave Cole Becker a small nod. "Let's make this a good one."
Cole Becker- smiled, a polite but confident expression. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
At the front of the room, Coordinator Tessa Hicks adjusted the microphone and clipboard. Her tone was firm, composed.
"Group 9 and Group 11. Are you ready. We've Seven quiz rounds plus essay, speech, and teacher round. Let's begin."
She raised the subject box. "Group 9, please draw the subject for the opening round."
Cole Becker reached forward, drew a folded slip, and read aloud: "World History."
The first question appeared- and instantly, Cole Becker's buzzer lit up and answered.
The pace was brutal. Question after question, Group 9 responded with crisp confidence. We managed to claim two points late in the round, but it wasn't enough.
Ashley Boone drew next folded piece of paper. Mathematics.
I exchanged a quick glance with Avery Lynch- our strongest in this subject.
The first few questions rolled through. Avery Lynch's buzzer hit with precise timing every time. Her rhythm was sharp and steady, her focus unshakable.
By the end of the round, the scoreboard shown:
Score: 1–1.
Round three was Marketing drawn by Cole Becker. Ryan leaned forward, fingers dancing near his buzzer. The questions came quickly. Group 9 was good- frightening, but Ryan Neal matched them. At the end, we won the round and taken the lead with 2-1.
But Group 9 wasn't backing down. The next four rounds have went neck-to-neck, as the match tied with 3-3.
Then came Essay Round, the topic drawn by Cole Becker is The Role of Competition in Academic Growth.
Ashley Boone choose Daisy Hart and Noah Jackson. Across the table, Group 9 started writing without hesitation, their pens gliding smoothly across the paper.
Fifteen minutes later, the timer buzzed. The coordinators collected both essays and began comparing the arguments quietly. The room waited in uneasy silence- the kind that made every second stretch longer.
Finally, Tessa Hicks spoke. "Winner of the Essay Round — Group 9."
Cole Becker gave a faint smile. The scoreboard blinked again.
Score: 3–4.
Finally, the Teacher Round- the last deciding phase as score is at 5-4. If Group 9 wins this round, it'll head to tiebreaker or else Group 11 wins.
The subject box waited at the front of the room. Ashley Boone reached forward, drew the final slip- and read the word quietly. "Environmental Studies."
Ryan Neal, Finley Ashford, and two members stepped up, alongside four members of Group 9.
The questions came. Both sides buzzed in near perfect rhythm. The lead swapped three times before the final question appeared.
Both buzzers sounded almost simultaneously, but Finley Ashford buzzed first and answered correctly. With that we won the round and taken the match.
Final Score - Group 9: 4 Group 11: 6.
For a moment, no one moved. The tension hung heavy, bittersweet at Group 9's table.
Ashley Boone went to Cole Becker and shook hands. "That was one of the best match we've had so far," she said.
Cole Becker shook it firmly. "You deserved the win."
As Group 9 filed out, the chatter of the hallway returned- bursts of laughter, distant footsteps echoing in to the room.
We lingered behind for a moment, packing our things. Ashley Boone slung her bag over her shoulder and looked back at the empty room. "We did well today, only one match rending."
Ryan Neal nodded. "Yeah, besides we're already confirmed for the second spot in the bracket."
Outside, the late-afternoon sun burned low and golden across the coordinator. We sat in the waiting area as the clock ticking for our final match in the bracket: Group 27.