This week on Granite State Challenge.

It's the championship as the Tomahawks of Merrimack High School take on the Rams of Tilton School.

Only one team will win.

Granite State Challenge starts now.

Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Bangor Savings Bank.

Safety insurance.

NEA New Hampshire.

Aroma Joe's.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.

Get ready.

It's time for New Hampshire high schools to match wits in a high stakes scholastic showdown.

It's time for Granite State Challenge.

Here's your host, Jon Cannon.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Granite State Challenge Championship.

If you've been with us all season, you know, we started with 36 teams at our Super Saturday testing event.

And these two teams with us this week have battled their way to right here this stage.

We've got a returning champion taking on a brand new team to the show.

Who's it going to be?

Let's introduce them to you.

First up we have the team from Merrimack High School.

Hi, I'm Erin, I'm a senior.

Hi, I'm Liam.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Maeve, I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Avis.

I'm a junior.

Their alternates are Hikari, Bridget, and Lauren.

And they're coached by chemistry teacher doctor Sara Campbell and physics teacher Liz Dumais.

And they are the Tomahawks of Merrimack High School.

And their opponents in this championship game are the Rams of Tilton School.

Hi, I'm Lex, I'm a senior.

Hi, I'm Niko, I'm a junior.

Hi, I'm Jamie, I'm a junior.

I'm Sebastian, I'm a senior.

Their alternates are Turner and Nathaniel.

And the team is coached by Spanish teacher Keelan Mackenzie and they are the Rams of Tilton School.

All right, those are our teams.

But of course, one last time this season, our beloved judge with us on the Ann Cam is Ann Boulanger.

All right teams introductions are out of the way.

Merrimack and Tilton.

You know how we play this game.

We're going to start in round one with ten point toss ups.

So Merrimack and Tilton good luck.

Here we go.

What does the DC in Washington, D.C. stand for?

Niko of Tilton.

District of Columbia.

Correct.

Referred to as Seward's Folly, the U.S. paid Russia about $0.02 an acre for this in 1867.

Avis of Merrimack.

Alaska.

Yes.

Six of the planets in our solar system rotate counterclockwise on their axis, including Earth.

Venus rotates clockwise on its axis.

This planet rotates at a 90 degree angle from the plane of its orbit, and orbits the sun like a rolling ball.

Erin of Merrimack.

Uranus.

Yes.

The landlocked South American country of Bolivia is named for this Venezuelan statesman and military leader.

Liam of Merrimack.

Simon Bolivar.

Yes.

This mountain range, which shares its name with the Greek Titan who holds up the heavens from the earth, separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Erin of Merrimack.

The Atlas Mountains.

Correct.

In this Western folk song, the main character was the daughter of a miner forty-niner, and not a small citrus fruit.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Clementine.

Yes.

At 19,341ft.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa.

In what country will you find it?

Sebastian of Tilton.

Tanzania.

That's right.

Teams.

What 2003 novel by Khalid Hosseini follows the lives of two boys growing up in Afghanistan.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Kite Runner.

Yes.

Biologist E.O.

Wilson is often referred to as the father of biodiversity.

He was a world renowned myrmecologist.

What animal does a specialist in myrmecology study?

Erin of Merrimack.

Fish.

Sorry.

No.

Jamie of Tilton.

Manatees.

Sorry.

No.

It's ants.

Myrmecology.

All right teams.

Rapper, singer and flutist Melissa Vivian Johnson is better known by this name.

Avis of Merrimack.

Lizzo.

Yes.

Despite being known as the City of Brotherly Love, fans of this city's football team pelted Santa with snowballs at a 1968 NFL game, often referred to as the Santa Claus game.

Lex of Tilton.

Philadelphia.

That's right.

Laurence Fishburne plays this character in The Matrix, who is named for the Greek god of sleep and dreams.

Erin of Merrimack.

Hypnos.

Sorry.

No.

Tilton.

Lex.

Morpheus.

Morpheus is right.

This singer, sometimes called the Princess of Pop and known for the songs like Toxic and Baby One More Time, got her start on the all new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in 1992.

Avis, Maeve.

Sorry of Merrimack.

Britney Spears?

Yes.

Two first ladies were not born in what is now the United States.

One was Louisa Adams, the wife of John Quincy Adams, who was born in England.

Who was the second first lady not born in the United States.

Sebastian of Tilton.

Ivanka Trump.

Sorry.

No.

Merrimack.

Merrimack.

Erin.

Martha Washington.

No, it's Melania Trump.

In 1828, 800 women and girls at the Cocheco Manufacturing Company walked off the job and marched through the streets of this New Hampshire city, demanding better working conditions and wages.

Erin of Merrimack.

Manchester.

Sorry.

No.

Tilton.

Lex.

Wolfeboro.

Sorry.

No.

It was Dover, New Hampshire.

All right.

Although there is a slight difference in spelling, this TV show takes its name from an 1858 reference book about the human body, written by Henry Gray and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter Erin of Merrimack.

Grey's Anatomy.

That is right.

All right, teams, a little math question for you of pencil and paper, if you like.

How much carpet will you need to cover a room that is nine feet by 12ft?

Erin of Merrimack.

108ft .

That is right.

All right, teams, our next question is a video question coming to you on your monitors from my good friend Tom Bergeron.

Hi, there.

I'm a two time Emmy winner and really modest guy, Tom Bergeron.

Over the course of my career, I've hosted a number of TV shows, including Hollywood Squares, America's Funniest Home Videos, and Dancing with the Stars.

But one of my very first TV hosting jobs was on this long running high school quiz show.

Liam of Merrimack.

Granite State Challenge.

Right.

And we'd like to thank Tom Bergeron for coming in and doing those questions for us.

Thank you Tom.

All right.

Teams.

In the 1893 Nix v. Hedden decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this was a vegetable.

Lex of Tilton.

Tomato?

Correct.

Teams.

Who is the main love interest of Bella Swan in Twilight?

Maeve of Merrimack Edward Cullen.

Yes.

All right, teams, take a look at your monitor for the next question.

This 9 to 12 inch bird is North America's smallest falcon, and the only North American falcon or hawk that nests in cavities.

Liam of Merrimack.

The kestrel.

Correct.

This woman, who served as German chancellor from 2005 to 2021, has a doctorate in quantum chemistry.

Lex of Tilton.

Merkel?

Yes.

Angela Merkel is right.

All right.

That's the end of round one and looks like Merrimack out to a bit of a lead by score of 130 to 60.

All right.

Teams, normally at this point in the show, we take a break to have a little chat with all of our players.

But we've gotten to know you pretty well over the course of this season of Granite State Challenge.

And so we are going to roll right into round two right now.

And as you know, round two is our three strikes and your'e out round.

You know how it's played.

But for the folks at home what we do is we go down the line player by player.

Each team gets ten questions for ten points each, and we keep going until all ten questions are asked or until three strikes and you're out.

Each team, you have three passes that you can use.

And, just as a reminder, something in the previous question will be the inspiration for the next question.

We start alphabetically.

So Merrimack, that means you and Erin.

This is your question.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, sits on the Maine side of this tidal river Pass.

Pass to Liam.

Piscataqua.

That is correct.

Maeve.

In Greek mythology, this ferryman brings the souls of the dead to the underworld.

The largest moon of Pluto is named for him.

Pass.

Avis.

Karen is right.

Erin to you.

Pluto, which was demoted to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union in 2006, is the name of this mouse's dog.

Mickey Mouse.

Correct.

Liam.

Choreographer and singer Toni Basil had a hit song in 1981 with the cheer inspired song Hey Mickey.

Basil also choreographed and co-directed with David Byrne.

The music video for Once in a Lifetime by this group.

No answer.

It is Talking Heads.

Maeve to you.

In this 1989 movie Look Who's Talking, John Travolta babysits for a baby whose thoughts the audience can hear as they are voiced by this actor, who also played tough cop John McClane in Die Hard.

Bruce Willis.

Correct.

Avis.

The New Hampshire motto live Free or Die was coined by this Londonderry, New Hampshire major General who served in the French and Indian War.

John Stark.

Correct.

Erin.

Fictional character Tony Stark is one of the founding members and eventual leader of this group of superheroes.

The Avengers.

Yes.

Liam.

Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg were the stars of the 1960s spy series The Avengers.

Diana Rigg left the show in 1967 and went on to play this British spy's wife in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

James Bond.

Yes.

Maeve.

This is the type of bond that forms when electrons are transferred between atoms of opposite charge.

Ionic.

Yes.

Avis.

Ironic was a hit song by this singer, even though most of the things listed in the song were not ironic at all.

Bo Burnham sorry, no, it is Alanis Morissette and that is the 10th question.

So it ends the round.

Great job Merrimack.

Tilton, we turn our attention over to you.

Same drill.

Lex we'll start with you.

This is your question.

In the action series 24, Kiefer Sutherland played counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer.

Each season of the series, which ran for nine seasons, covered this time period.

The 1970s.

Covered 24 hours in a day.

Niko.

Kiefer Sutherland is the son of Donald Sutherland.

Donald Sutherland is this ruler in The Hunger Games.

The ruler of the games.

His name is President Snow.

Jamie.

Olympia Snowe served as a senator from this state from 1995 to 2013.

New Hampshire.

It is Maine.

And just like that, three strikes and the round is over.

All right, no worries, team.

That's the end of round two.

We're going to go into round three.

Our 60 second round.

Alternates, come on up and join your teams at the podium.

In our 60 second round, each team gets ten questions in a category.

They can work together and talk together as a team.

We'll take the captains answer as the team answer.

And Lex as the captain of Tilton, the team trailing right now.

You and your team can choose from these three categories.

Home Sweet Home, Bridgerton, and Bearable All right, we've it dodged enough times.

We'll go with Bridgerton.

Bridgerton has been on the show before.

Here we go.

So the answers to the following will be related to bridges or include the word bridge.

Okay, Lex, again, you can talk to your team.

I'll take your answer as the team answer.

60 Seconds.

Start the clock.

This novel by Katherine Patterson features Leslie and Jessie in a magic place they create.

Bridge to Terabithia.

Correct.

A conman might try to sell you this landmark that connects two New York City locations.

George Washington Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge.

This San Francisco landmark is more orange than yellow.

Golden Gate Bridge.

Yes, this is a song about friendship and comfort by Simon and Garfunkel.

Rainbow bridge.

It is Bridge Over Troubled Water.

This often falls down in a children's song.

London Bridge.

Yes, in Italian, this Venice landmark is known as Ponte dei Sospiri.

Roman Bridge.

It is Bridge of Sighs.

This is a metaphor for ending a situation so badly you can't recover from it.

Burning Bridges.

Yes, in the story of the three Billy Goats Gruff, these were under a bridge.

Trolls?

Yes.

This singer songwriter is known for her indie folk music.

Bridgers.

Bridgers, Phoebe Bridgers.

Right.

She integrated the William France elementary school in New Orleans.

Ruby Bridges.

Yes.

Correct.

And we're going to get an add up over on the Ann Cam.

7 out 10 on your 60 second round.

Great job, Tilton making up some ground, but we're going to turn it over to Merrimack for their turn.

And Erin, you've heard we've got left over categories Home Sweet Home and Bearable.

Home Sweet Home please.

Home Sweet Home.

Okay, so the answers to the following will all include the word home or house.

All right Erin, again you can talk to your team.

Take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

The final base in baseball.

Home base.

Home base.

Home plate.

1862 law that lets citizens claim 160 acres of public land.

Homestead Act.

Yes, either a philosopher or a character on The Simpsons.

Homer.

Yes.

Movie featuring a young boy abandoned at Christmas.

Home Alone.

Yes.

The landing spot of a website.

Homepage.

Yes.

This is where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play.

Home on the range.

Yes.

Iconic song by Lynyrd Skynyrd that includes a.

Sweet Home Alabama.

Yes.

Novel by Kurt Vonnegut, subtitled The Children's Crusade A Duty Dance with Death.

Pass.

Slaughterhouse Five.

This novel about Ma and Pa and Laura and Margaret and Carrie was made into a TV series.

Little House on the Prairie.

Yes, novel by Charles Dickens about the Jarndyce family and their secrets.

Oh, Bleak House.

Bleak House is correct.

And we're going to add it all up.

How many?

Eight out of ten on your 60 second round.

All right, teams, great job on that round.

Alternates.

Thank you so much.

You can take your seats.

We're going to get right into round four.

In round four you know we're going to pick back up with our toss up questions.

We're going to double the point value to 20 points.

But we will be deducting 20 points for incorrect responses.

So a lot can change here.

Merrimack and Tilton.

So playing smart and strategically for all it's worth here we go.

This is the largest county in New Hampshire by area, and the smallest county in New Hampshire by population.

Liam of Merrimack.

Coos.

Yes, two vice presidents have shot a man while in office.

One intentionally and fatally in a duel and one non-fatal while quail hunting with his friends.

Name them.

Avis of Merrimack.

Aaron Burr and, Richard Nixon.

Sorry, no Tilton, Lex.

Aaron Burr and Dick Cheney.

Those are the two.

The focus of this city state in Laconia in ancient Greece was military proficiency and readiness.

Erin of Merrimack.

Sparta.

Yes.

The TV animated sitcom family Guy is set in Quahog, Rhode Island.

What type of animal is a quahog?

Maeveof Merrimack.

A clam.

It is a clam.

Released in 1959 by Chubby Checker, this song led to a dance craze among teenagers Liam of Merrimack.

Twist.

The twist is right.

Our next question is our Unitil power question, which we normally do on your monitors, but instead I'd like to invite Alec O'Meara from Unitil to come on up and give you the question.

Remember, this is a 40 point tossup question.

Alec.

Thanks, Jon.

The 1971 song Power to the People was performed by the Plastic Ono Band, and this man.

Niko Tilton.

John Lennon.

Correct.

Very well done.

Thank you, Alec, and thank you to Unitil for all you do for Granite State Challenge.

All right, teams, all this character and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland wanted to do was cut off the heads of anyone who displeased her.

Liam of Merrimack.

Queen of Hearts.

Yes.

While it was used as the de facto motto of the United States for many years, this was made the official motto.

In 1956.

Maeve of Merrimack.

E pluribus unum.

Sorry, no.

Tilton.

Jamie.

In God We Trust.

That is right.

This element contains one proton and no neutrons in its nucleus.

Erin of Merrimack.

Hydrogen.

Yes, this former California governor's autobiography, Total Recall My Unbelievably True Life Story, was published in 2012.

Liam of Merrimack.

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Yes.

Musician and actor Steven Van Zandt founded Artists United Against Apartheid in 1985 to discourage musicians from playing at the Sun City resort in this country.

Lex of Tilton.

South Africa.

Yes.

All right, teams, take a look at your monitors for the next question.

This Italian scientist was awarded the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to wireless communication.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Marconi.

Yes This political party was opposed to the expansion of slavery into the western territories of the US.

It was active from 1848 to 1854.

Former U.S. President Martin Van Buren ran as its presidential candidate in 1848, and picked up 10.1% of the popular vote.

Lex of Tilton.

The Free Soil Party.

That is right.

In the U.S the two chambers of Congress are the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What are the two chambers of the British Parliament?

Erin of Merrimack.

House of Commons and the House of Lords.

That is right.

United States Army officer and cavalry commander George Custer was killed in 1876 at the Battle of Little Bighorn between the Lakota Sioux, led by Sitting Bull and the seventh US Cavalry Regiment in what is often referred to as Custer's Last Stand.

In what current state did the battle take place?

Jamie of Tilton.

Montana.

Yes, Elwood Edwards was the voice behind this notification from America Online letting you know that you might want to check your inbox.

Lex of Tilton.

You've got mail.

Yes, this 1899 work by composer Scott Joplin is considered one of the best examples of ragtime music.

Despite its name, it probably has nothing to do with Canada or a hockey team.

It is likely named for a black music club in Sedalia, Missouri, where Joplin performed.

Erin of Merrimack.

The Maple Leaf Rag.

Yes, this contemporary American artist's sculptures include stainless steel balloon dogs and bunnies.

That artist is Jeff Koons.

Teams.

What proportion of the U.S. Senate is required to approve a treaty?

Sebastian of Tilton.

Two thirds.

Sorry, no.

Merrimack.

It was three fourths was that proportion.

In Kentucky, mountain passes are typically called gaps.

In other areas they might be called passes.

What are they usually called in New Hampshire?

Erin of Merrimack.

Notches.

That is right.

This ended in 1933 when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st amendment.

Lex of Tilton.

Prohibition.

That's right.

This singer songwriter was only 22 when he died in a plane crash, along with fellow singers Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Buddy Holly.

Yes, this man is best known for directing dark and gothic movies like Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

He is also the director and producer of the Netflix series Wednesday, about the oldest child of Morticia and Gomez Addams.

Erin of Merrimack.

Tim Burton.

Yes, before the U.S. Constitution was approved in 1788, what set of rules governed the U.S.?

Erin of Merrimack.

The Articles of Confederation?

Yes.

In this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, the King of Siam had 67 children and was in desperate need of a teacher for them.

Almost gave you the answer.

It's the King and I.

Both of the independent U.S. senators are from New England.

Name them and the state they represent.

You may know Bernie Sanders of Vermont, but also Angus King of Maine is the other one.

Reykjavik, Iceland is the northernmost country capital in the world.

What is the southernmost country capital?

It's Wellington, New Zealand.

Cartoonist Al Capp said the town of Dogpatch in his Li'l Abner comic strip was based on this New Hampshire seacoast town that is on the border with Massachusetts and the home to a nuclear power plant.

Lex of Tilton.

Seabrook.

Yes, this gemstone comes in two main types jadeite and nephrite.

It is often found in jewelry and art from Asia.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Jade.

Jade is right.

In 1982, Elephant Parts, a collection of music and skits, became the first video to win a music video Grammy.

The producer of Elephant Parts was Mike Nesmith, a former member of this group who had a comedy show about a band that was too busy singing to put anybody down.

It was the Monkees.

This record setting test pilot broke the sound barrier in 1947 and named his plane after his wife, Glennis, who he considered his good luck charm.

Maeve of Merrimack.

Chuck Yeager Chuck Yeager is right.

This installation artist's 1979 work, The Dinner Party, features three tables.

That was Judy Chicago was that artist, and with a strong match from start to finish.

Merrimack is the Granite State Challenge Champion.

All right.

And now I would like to toss you over to Alec O'Meara of Unitil for the presentations of trophies.

Alec.

Thanks, Jon.

It is always a pleasure to be here at the Granite State Challenge finals and to be able to present these trophies on behalf of Unitil, I will now present the runner up trophy and then the finals trophy here is the runner up trophy, and I am proud to be able to present it to the Tilton School.

Congratulations.

So I'm curious for your team.

I know this is the first time visit for your school to the challenge.

Was there a moment during the process where you guys realized that you would be making a deep run here this year?

Yeah, I think about, after our quarterfinal match, I had a meeting with the team.

We had a practice, and Lex and I kind of looked at each other and we said, this is happening.

This is happening.

And it kind of it put some air in our sails.

Well that's fantastic.

Congratulations again.

And thank you for showing that smaller schools can have a big impact here at the Granite State Challenge.

We hope to see you here in the finals again.

Schools do have a habit of showing up here year after year, so best of luck in future years to you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Speaking of, we have Merrimack High School, your fifth championship, your third in a row.

Congratulations once again.

And I am pleased to present you with another championship trophy.

Thank you.

Coach, I was thinking this is going to be a rebuilding year for you guys.

You lost a lot of seniors after last season.

Tell me about what this process has been and how you found yourself here once again.

So I thought it was going to be a rebuilding year, too.

And then, this group of kids, I mean, Erin came back, but everyone else, they came out of the woodwork, and they worked so unbelievably hard.

They came and they practiced.

They practiced on their own.

And I was absolutely blown away by how amazing they did.

Well, congratulations.

You have a fantastic program here.

Never count you guys out again.

And, expect to see you here again real soon.

Thank you.

Back to you, Jon.

Thank you Alec.

Congratulations again to Merrimack High School and to Tilton School for a great season.

And thank you at home for joining us.

Throughout this entire season of Granite State Challenge.

We've had a lot of fun here.

We hope you did too.

We learned a lot this season and I hope you did as well.

We'll see you next year.

Buh bye.

Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Bangor Savings Bank.

Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire, Aroma Joe's and viewers like you.

Thank you.