St Jago advances despite weak showing in buzzer section

Having recognised that they play terribly with the buzzer, St Jago High School opened up a huge lead in the first two sections of the second quarter-finals match of TVJ's Schools' Challenge Quiz against Campion College. The St Catherine-based school managed to hold on to the lead to win 42 to 38.

St Jago amassed 38 points, representing an 18-point lead, by the end of the speed challenge, but were only able to score four points in the buzzer challenge with Campion breathing down their necks.

"The buzzer has been a challenge over the years and we have been working on it. What we had to do was win the match from the opening and speed challenge," St Jago's coach, Shawn Henry, said.

"The instructions were to allow the scores and the knowledge we have to weigh Campion down, and it did work because what we did was to pile on the score. And even though Campion played well with the buzzer, it was a bit too much for them to overcome."

But Campion, a team that has been playing well in the buzzer challenge section all season, believed that they caught them. When the bell sounded to signal the end of the match, the scoreboard indicated that both teams were locked on 38 points, which should have sent the match into sudden death.

St Jago, however, made a query about an answer the presenter initially turned down. The judges accepted the answer, ending the match abruptly.

St Jago will take on Munro College in the first semi-final on March 22.