Small But Mighty

CHS Academic Team’s Impressive Season

Cougars Earn First Place in Regular Season

Alisha Yocum

The Catoctin High School (CHS) Academic Team had an exciting season, proving that size doesn’t always determine success. While other county high schools fielded teams of 25 to 50 students, CHS competed with a roster of just 11. Yet, the team still finished first in the regular season, with only one loss.

Each week, the team faced intense rounds of competition, covering a wide range of topics, including math, history, pop culture, and more. To add an extra challenge, each week students were given a specific theme in advance, such as board games, women in science, the Cold War, and Pixar.

On February 21, Frederick County Public Schools hosted the Academic Team Championship at Frederick High School, where the CHS team entered as the top seed.

With high hopes, they aimed to claim their first championship title in 43 years. The team came out strong in the first round and displayed strategy in the fourth round to claim another victory. The final round would prove challenging against Urbana and Brunswick, who placed second and third in the regular season.

The Cougars struggled with a category in which all answers contained exactly ten letters, dropping into negatives. Though they fought their way back, they ultimately fell short. The Urbana Hawks claimedcthe championship with 14 points, while the Cougars and the Brunswick Railroaders each finished with 10.

During the event, three CHS students would be named to the All-County Academic Team: 1st Team, Michael Metz; 2nd Team, Darrin Frey; and Honorable Mention, Hoyt Saylor.

This season marked the 10th year of coaching for CHS teacher, Doug Young, who took over the program after John Koepke’s tenure. Young, who sees coaching as a way to contribute to the school’s legacy, attributes the team’s success to both talent and dedication.

“There’s a lot more to this than just being smart and knowing facts,” Young explained. “Strategy plays a big role—knowing how and when to answer can make all the difference.”

During practice, CHS staff, who call themselves “The Old Buzzards,” would play against the team to help them improve and work on strategy. “Events like this [the Academic Tournament] are important because they highlight the students who are great at math, at history, or who spend their extra time curled up in the library. They also have to work as a team and learn to grow and get better. “It gives kids who want to compete a place to show off their skills other than an athletic field.”

Young would like to thank all of the parents, the school staff, and his own family, because he says without them, none of this would even be possible.

The Catoctin High School Academic Team takes first place in the regular season (from left): (front row) Andrew Cole, Samuel Smith, Michael Metz, Hoyt Saylor, Darrin Frey, Coach Doug Young; (back row) Daniel Hoyle, Cara Miller, Elizabeth Blank, Annalisa Russell, and Tommy Lee. Not pictured: Sean Hoyle.

Members of the Catoctin High School Academic Team during the Championship Match