Team Results | Inividual Results | Prelims

Colorado Springs defeats Bothell in playoff for championship, takes all-time lead in titles

By ROBERT CARTER

It could have been just a little closer. But not by much.

The teams from Church at Briargate in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Cedar Park Assembly in Bothell, Washington had battled throughout the 19-game round-robin competition, losing only two games each and with Briargate defeating Cedar Park in their head-to-head matchup. So it was only fitting that a single playoff match between the teams would decide the 2007 Teen Bible Quiz National Championship at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

And the battle continued in the playoff game, as the two top squads went neck and neck. After 17 questions and a quiz-out by Bothell's Jenna-Jo Duffy, the score was tied at 135-all. On question 18, Jenna-Jo's brother Brandon interupted and missed on a 20-pointer, and Briargate's Andrew Kelley picked up the rebound; the miss also knocked Brandon out on a strikeout.

On the 19th question, Kelley missed on an interrupted 10-pointer, and Heather Karnes got the rebound to narrow the margin to 15 points. On the last question, Karnes - now the only quizzer at the table for Cedar Park - interrupted and missed, and Kelley converted the rebound for the apparent win. But Cedar Park contested, with coach Dr. Kari Brodin arguing that quizmaster Bryan Turner inproperly emphasized the wrong syllable of the question. The contested was accepted and question voided, giving Bothell one last shot.

But on the substitute question, Kelley was quicker on the buzzer and nailed the correct answer. Briargate won 170-135 to win their second title in a row and their fourth since the turn of the century. The four titles now gives Church at Briargate the lead in all-time championships, besting Orange Hills Assembly of Orange, California and Evangel Temple Assembly of Decatur, Georgia with three each.

The championship is the second for Kelley and teammate Michael Rose, and the fifth in coach Greg House's career.

James River Assembly of Ozark, Misouri finished in third place, three games behind the playoff teams. First Assembly of Lafayette, Indiana won fourth place, breaking a four-way tie on head-to-head resuls. Lafayette had defeated all three of the other teams in round-robin play.

In the Challenger Division, First Assembly of Binghamton, New York won the division title, with Grace Assembly of God, Syracuse, New York finishing second.

CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION