Delaware County Christian School team pictured above
February 21, 2023– The results are in! Six top-scoring teams competed in a series of two Semi- Final contests to determine the Delco Hi-Q 75th Season finalists. Delaware County Christian School already earned a bye from scoring the most points in the regular season. It was up to the next six teams to battle it out to determine the three team final contest.
Radnor High School was the first semi-finalist to earn a trip to the Championship contest with a semi-final win over Marple Newtown and Penncrest. In the first half it seemed as if Marple was going to come out victorious with 22 points, a generous lead over Radnor’s 12 and Penncrest’s 9 at intermission. However both Penncrest and Radnor came on strong in the second half. Radnor only missed two of their own questions in the second half. Penncrest picked up four bonus points and answered their own question correctly in the Team Choice category; they also buzzed in first to answer the Team Choice Toss Up. By the final question- Math Toss Up- Radnor and Marple were tied, it was Radnor who buzzed in with the correct answer- before the time clock even started. Final Scores- Radnor: 38; Marple: 34; Penncrest: 25.
In the second Semi-Final, The home team, Garnet Valley, earned a win against reigning champions Haverford and Springfield to head to the Championship contest. The auditorium was full and enthusiasm was high as Garnet Valley took the lead right from the start. The first half proved to be tough for Haverford and Springfield as they struggled to answer their questions correctly, giving Garnet Valley ample opportunity to pick up bonus points- 8 in the first half. The two visiting teams couldn’t catch up, ultimately giving Garnet Valley the win. Final Scores- Garnet Valley- 49; Haverford: 16; Springfield: 24.
Radnor and Garnet Valley will travel to Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square to compete for cash prizes, donated by Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, and the Donna Zerby trophy in the 75th Championship contest on March 2nd at 10:45 am. The team that takes the title will then move onto the national Hi-Q Championship, where they’ll compete against three regional Hi-Q champs from other states via videoconference.
Delaware County Christian School joined the competition in 1993, replacing St. James High School, and is making their seventh overall championship appearance. The school won the Championship in 2021. DC placed first in the regular season which earned them the opportunity to host the Championship. Team coach Thom Houghton has been the advisor for 24 years.
Garnet Valley High School holds one of the longest Championship records in Delco Hi-Q history. This will be their 10th consecutive appearance in the Championship and twenty-seventh overall since 1977. They placed second last season. Faculty Advisor Sandra Dubnansky has been coaching the team for 12 years and fellow advisor Dr. Alex Hillemeyer is in his first year.
Radnor High School also has a long Championship record in Delco Hi-Q, dating back to 1965. This will be the twenty-ninth appearance in the Championship. The school has earned eleven titles since 1965 with the last coming in the 1998 season. Faculty Advisor Robert Spear has coached the team for ten years.
To see the scoreboard and schedule, and to learn how Hi-Q competitions work, visit www.DelcoHiQ.org. Follow us on Facebook, to get breaking Delco Hi-Q news.
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 CSR and Program Manager Danielle Griffin is Hi-Q Assistant Director, and DCIU’s Dave Bramble is the production engineer. In addition to support from the 21 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.
