Delco Hi-Q’s 71st season kicked off at Ridley High School on Monday December 3, 2018. Delaware County’s academic competition may have recently turned 70 but it has not shown any signs of aging!
It was a high energy and close opening day contest. The Ridley auditorium was packed with students and teachers cheering on the home team and the visitors from Sun Valley and Archbishop Carroll. The Green Raiders were off to a strong start and held the lead through the entire first half of the contest, gaining points in every category. Sun Valley was close behind as only five points separated the teams at the half. Archbishop Carroll struggled early on with only nine total points at the half but warmed up after intermission and scored 23 points in the second half, taking the lead from the home team late in the contest. They cemented their victory by buzzing in on the last question with the correct Math answer for four points. Final Scores: Ridley, 26; Sun Valley, 21; Archbishop Carroll, 32.
First round competition continued on Tuesday when Penncrest hosted Interboro and defending champions, Haverford High School in front of another capacity crowd. The visiting Fords made it look easy in the early categories by scoring points in each first half topic, propelling them to a 12 point lead at the half. Penncrest and Interboro were neck and neck throughout the half with only one point separating them at intermission. Penncrest shined in the second half and was able to reduce Haverford’s lead to two points after buzzing in with a correct question in the Literature toss-up. In the end, Haverford was able to hold off the competition to take the win. Final Scores: Penncrest, 37; Interboro, 26; Haverford, 44.
The entire high school was on hand Thursday when Delaware County Christian School played host to Upper Darby and Marple Newtown. This was a rematch from last season’s semi-final when the Delaware County Christian team claimed victory over Marple Newtown in an exciting match that ended with Delco Christian winning in a tiebreaker. The home team was off to a great start and only missed one question in the first half. Marple Newtown was almost as strong with only one point separating the two at the half. Upper Darby stayed competitive with the two former playoff teams throughout the contest but stayed in third place. A bonus point in Art History and answering the Math toss-up kept Delaware County Christian in the lead and gave them enough points for the win. Even without the win, Marple Newtown finished with the second highest score of the week. Each point is important since the cumulative scores from team’s three competitions determine playoff positions. Final Scores: Delaware County Christian School, 52; Upper Darby, 28; Marple Newtown, 47.
A busy week for Hi-Q ended on December 7th in Sharon Hill with Academy Park hosting Penn Wood and Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast. Most of the contestants on stage were Hi-Q rookies, who were anxious to play. Bonner & Prendie struck first by scoring five points in the first category, Current Events and kept the lead throughout the entire contest . Penn Wood had a tough first half, scoring only one point, but added 15 in the second half to take second place. Academy Park was just three points behind in third. Final Scores: Academy Park, 13; Penn Wood, 16; Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast, 25.
Delco Hi-Q is a partnership between Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Foundation. FMFCU Vice President Rick Durante serves as Director and Quizmaster, FMFCU Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist Danielle Griffin is Hi-Q Assistant Director, and DCIU’s Dave Bramble is the production engineer. In addition to support from participating schools, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union and the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation are the primary corporate sponsors. Additional support comes from longtime sponsor Kimberly-Clark Chester Operations and the Delaware County Daily Times.
