AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS of intense competition and myriad of tears following crushing defeats, the ultimate battle was waged between between Calabar High School and Manchester High, the two teams that made it to the finals of Television Jamaica's (TVJ) Schools' Challenge Quiz Competition 2004. The match ended in a nail-biting finish with only 2 points separating both teams when the curtains came down.

The match, which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Thursday, was evenly contested, but the 'Lions' from Red Hills Road managed to keep Manchester High at bay and took home the trophy and the coveted title.

For the first few minutes of the match, Manchester appeared intent on taking no prisoners, they came out with guns blazing and answered question after question correctly. Meanwhile, the 'Lions' struggled to claw their way into the match as they answered quite a number of questions incorrectly.

The tide gradually turned, however, and about mid-way into the first section, 'C-bar' pulled even before moving slightly ahead. With tensions running high and desperate prayers being whispered hastily, both teams stretched the nerves of their supporters almost to breaking point when they kept the scores even for several minutes by alternately answering questions incorrectly.

The first section ended with Calabar on seven points and Manchester six.

Dramatic change

Things changed dramatically in the second section however. From the first minute, Calabar dispelled any lingering doubts that anyone might have had about whether or not they intended to take home the crown. In this section, each team were given three one-minute intervals during which they are allowed to answer as many questions as possible within the allotted time.

Calabar was able to correctly answer six of the 13 questions posed to them in the first minute by moderator, Marlene Stephenson-Dalley. Manchester, on the other hand, was able to correctly answer only 3 of 8 questions. Calabar continued this dominant trend for the remaining two minutes in that section and were rewarded with 26 points to Manchester's 18.

With Manchester staring down the barrel of an 8-point lead, the 'Lions' appeared aggressive, but at ease. They either answered the questions in unison when time permitted, or Aldion Lee, the self-proclaimed laureate aspirant on the team, barked out his answers, seemingly impatient for the next question.

Manchester was clearly tense and seemed nervous as their defence began to crumble. They continued to try to rally, however, even though their efforts appeared uncoordinated.

The final section, which could see the match going either way, did not hand Manchester a reprieve. Calabar edged them out with a mere two-point difference to end the match on 31 to their 29.

The supporters of the 'Lions' could not be tamed. They ran from all corners of the room and converged in what appeared to be their official cheering section and a flag-waving, chanting and roaring frenzy ensued which could hardly be quelled.

Lincoln Thaxter, principal of Calabar High was on hand to witness the victory. "It is a tremendous feeling, he said shortly after the match. "Based on their level of preparation, they deserved to win."

He said he felt the win would boost the self-esteem of students, and noted Calabar has suffered from a lot of bad publicity arising from incidents at the school. "I hope this will help to change the focus and it is an indication that all is not lost," Thaxter added.

Dannielle Chai of Manchester High told THE STAR that she was very disappointed at the loss. "However, there is something to be learnt from both victory and defeat," the very composed young lady reasoned. "One has to learn to win with grace and lose with dignity. We hope to come back next year and I hope that the third time will be a charm."

It was the second time Manchester made it to the finals and failed to take home the title, having been beaten by last year's champions Munro College, who were ousted by Wolmer's Boys in the first round.

Excited supporters

It was very difficult to get a comment from the Calabar team members as they were surrounded by excited supporters. Aldion, however, was able to tear himself away from celebrating and posing for pictures long enough to comment briefly on the victory. "I am very happy, we've wanted this for a long while. Now its happening, I am very elated," he stated.

A large number of prizes were presented to both teams as well as other top performers in the competition. These included overseas trips, scholarships, computers, jewellery, books, Digicel mobile phones and phone cards and trophies.

Manchester received a prize for the team that amassed the most points throughout the competition, Glenmuir was awarded the top rural school and Hampton High was adjudged the top rural girls' school in the competition.

Calabar's team comprised Adrian Beadle, Samora Smellie, Patrick Barrett and Aldion Lee.

Leighton Morrison, Danielle Chai, Raphael Ajodhia and Marvin Cole represented Manchester High.