The team is comprised of 11 members and is divided into two sub-teams, the A team and the B team with four students and seven students respectively. The A team consists of those members with the most experience, while the B team is composed mainly of younger students looking to train. The students meet twice a week to practice questions and learn strategies.

 According to senior co-captain Matt Ochs, members of both teams participate in Quiz Bowl, which is the competition between other MCPS schools such as Poolesville and Blair. At the end of the year, MCPS It’s Academic teams have a bracket playoff to determine a champion. The A team then competes on the TV show It’s Academic and in higher-level competitions like the Beltway League. Currently, the members of the A-team include Ochs, senior co-captain Hazard, senior Lyon Chen and junior Prithish David.

 In early November, long-time It’s Academic coach and math teacher Doug Szafran resigned from his sponsor position after 15 years. Although he is no longer the sponsor, Szafran wishes the team the best of luck and encourages other students to support the team.

 ”Everyone should go to all the tapings because they are awesome,” Szafran said.

 Principal Joan Benz has stepped in as temporary sponsor for the team, and Ochs is optimistic about getting a new coach.

 ”We look for someone who has a genuine interest in CHS,” Ochs said. “Whoever it is has to be excited to see us succeed and help us when we lose.”

 The A team is now reviewing their strategies and trivia for its next TV appearance in March and a possible trip to the It’s Academic Super Bowl.

 ”We practice when to buzz and when to make an educated guess,” Hazard said. “Learning is only half the battle; you have to gage your opponent too.”

When a team member figures out the answer to the question, that person presses the buzzer and a light goes off to signify that his or her team will answer.

And that’s just the practice round.

“It’s an intense practice atmosphere,” said senior captain, president and treasurer Geoffrey Wang. “There is a lot of pride at stake.”

According to Wang, the team competes in academic challenges hosted by other high schools in the area. The team also participates in two televised tournaments: MCPS’ Quizmaster Challenge which they recently won against Wootton and are now headed to the quarterfinals and It’s Academic on NBC 4 in which CHS is one of the top nine teams and headed to the semifinals.

According to its website, It’s Academic was recently recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “longest running television quiz show.” The show has been airing on NBC since the late 1950s.

“It’s Academic has become a Washington institution, not just another TV show,” said It’s Academic host Mac McGarry. “We have a commitment to the teens who appear on the program, the teachers, our fans and to the whole educational community.”

According to McGarry, the questions focus on the core academic subjects, including history, literature, science, geography and math.

The CHS It’s Academic team practices every Tuesday after school. The students discuss questions and make sure that every team member understands the answer.

According to Wang, learning new and interesting things makes It’s Academic enjoyable. The members have proven that they are committed by participating in the competitions, and their hard work has certainly paid off.

The team will be in the semifinals of the It’s Academic competition in April. The program appears on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

“It’s Academic is always mentally stimulating,” McGarry said. “The students are bright, funny, idealistic and willing to work hard to achieve their goals.”

The team is coached by AP Statistics teacher Doug Szafran and the team is led by seniors Ben Burke, Peggy Li, Jack Shu and Geoffrey Wang

The team has now placed into the Playoffs and will return to face another first round winner later in the season. Best of luck, Bulldogs!

The match will be aired on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. on NBC4. The team will also return later in the season for a playoff match.