A jack-o’-lantern full of Halloween candy greeted visiting teams at Westwood High School on Saturday, Oct. 31, as Westwood’s national small school champion Quiz Bowl team hosted its inaugural tournament.
The academic competition drew 10 teams from across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including regional powerhouses Belmont, Waltham, and Brookline—all of which competed alongside Westwood at last spring’s national championships. In Quiz Bowl, players use buzzers to test their speed and accuracy on questions covering history, science, literature, current events, and the arts.
The idea to host a home tournament originated last year with team co-president Yuhan Chen. Over the past six months, Chen and fellow co-president Hayato Moy coordinated the logistics alongside faculty advisor Jared Sargent and their teammates. Beyond bringing competition to their home campus, the event served as a fundraiser to buy a second set of buzzers and cover entry fees for upcoming national tournaments.
“It was amazing to see how the whole team came together,” Chen said.
Belmont B dominated the field, finishing undefeated at 9-0 to claim the tournament title. Belmont’s strong showing qualified three of its squads for the High School National Championship Tournament this spring.
The event also featured a surprise performance from younger competitors. Thurston Middle School made its Quiz Bowl debut with an informal roster of friends taking on high school upperclassmen. Coached on the rules just three days before the event by Moy and team vice president Alex Balaeff, the middle schoolers held their own. Sixth-grader Brandon Lee led the effort, finishing 15th overall out of 36 individual players.
“I watched their game against Wheeler, the only other middle school team there,” Moy recalled. “It was a great game. I was thrilled to see such talented young quiz bowlers right next door.”
For Westwood’s high schoolers, running the tournament meant trading their buzzers for clipboards and timers. Members handled everything from reading questions and keeping score to setup and cleanup.
“It was my first time reading questions and keeping score,” Balaeff said. “It was a great experience watching intense games so closely.”
Sargent praised the squad’s initiative in bringing the event to life. “The entire team came out to make the competition run smoothly,” he said. “I’m really proud of all the work they’ve put into this, and I’m excited to see how they continue to collaborate and grow the rest of the year.”
