Who are the Juggernauts?
Juggernauts is the name of Colonia High School’s quiz bowl team, run by English teacher Mr. Long. Similar to sports teams, you can attain varsity status, and there is a season where quiz bowl teams from all across New Jersey compete in these brain games. The Colonia Juggernauts’ season runs from the beginning of the year to the middle of March, where students compete in school-hosted academic competitions. There is also an inter-Woodbridge competition with Woodbridge and John F. Kennedy High School in May. There were many wins and losses in this quiz bowl season, just like any other sports team. Students gained varsity status, students joined the team, and the trophy shelf in Mr. Long’s room gained a few more permanent members.
What do they do?
A normal Juggernauts competition would consist of either leaving school early or on Saturdays to go to a competition that might be as far as an hour away. Practices happen on Thursdays, where members going to competitions will prepare for a variety of trivia questions. Topics might range from pop culture to math to chemistry to literature. There is no telling what questions will appear at these competitions. It is up to the students, then, to hope that their trivia knowledge and preparation is comprehensive enough. As everyone in Juggernauts knows, it is truly a team effort to get the winning trophy.
Often styled like Jeopardy, there will be a board of topics with questions ranging from easy to difficult depending on the point value. So if the team wins, they’ve gained enough points to move onto the next round, at which point they’ll keep going until it is just them and another team, fighting for the title of first place. If they lose, it is because they haven’t racked up enough points to move onto the next round.
Juggernauts requires a lot of trivia related knowledge so practicing is essential.
Quiz Bowls
Colonia High School had their ‘Academic Arch’ competition recently in March, where they hosted their own quiz bowl competition. Students from across New Jersey came to compete, and members of the Juggernauts ran the competition themselves. Students prepared and came up with topics ranging from geometry to folklore, reading out questions to competing teams. The winning team at the end of the night was Biotechnology High School, a school in Freehold Township, New Jersey.
The Colonia Juggernauts have won their fair share of competitions, too. Both the varsity and junior varsity teams have gone home with trophies, both in first and second place. At the NorJAC (North Jersey Academic Championships) academic competition, for example, both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams went home with trophies.
The Upcoming Season
With the recent inaugural inter-Woodbridge competition, the Juggernauts season officially ended. The members of Colonia’s quiz bowl team look forward to the next year and all the quiz bowls. Though it may not be a sport, it is still a battle of the mind, and the team needs to stay sharp. With new potential team members coming next year, more quiz bowls to attend, and more varsity letters to award, the Juggernauts have a rewarding year ahead.
