George Mason High School’s Scholastic Bowl team is heading to their 15th straight Virginia High School League Tournament after the hard fought but successful 2A Regional Tournament last Saturday.
The road to victory was not breeze as the Mustangs came within one question of being eliminated twice during the double-elimination tournament. But the team picked up the second place trophy and punched its ticket to the state tournament on Feb. 28 at William and Mary University in Williamsburg. Mason seniors Jarman Taylor and Ben Cohen earned All-Region honors.
After beating Riverheads High School 275-100 in the first round, Mason faced the defending Virginia High School League championship team from Maggie Walker Governor’s School, falling 305-140 after being tied at 110 halfway through the game.
This placed the team in the tight spot of having to win three more games to make it into the final and into the state tournament.
First up was a nailbiter with Goochland High School, which tied the game with one tossup left. But Mason picked up the last tossup and won the match 190-180.
The Mustangs had it easier against Nandua High School, winning 260-120 to set up a match with Robert E. Lee High School, the winner making it to the final and qualifying for the Virginia High School League tournament.
The Mustangs began their next to last game by playing probably the worst first round they’ve played all year and trailed 80-35 at one point, but later they pulled to within 130-115 in the team round. In the final round the team took a 25 point lead with two 10-point questions left. Mason gave Lee the last two questions and qualified for states by a slim 185-180 margin.
In the final game of the day, the Mustangs fell again to Maggie Walker 280-145 but in doing so held Maggie Walker below 300 points for the first and only time of tournament.
