Alabama 2018-2019

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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by quizbowllee »

I sent the SQBS files for our Dec. 8 tournament to NAQT several days ago. I have no idea why they haven't been posted. But, it looks like a LOT of tournament stats from the past couple of weeks haven't been posted.

I just sent another e-mail asking about it. I apologize for the delay.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by LlamaDoomRider »

Any clue when ASCA JV district stats will be in?
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by iarehavethestupid »

LlamaDoomRider wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:45 pm Any clue when ASCA JV district stats will be in?
The Hanceville site already has stats in, so the rest will probably follow in the next day or so.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Results are in, but individual scores are not. Those are awaiting processing by one of the board members, who has to enter all the matches into SQBS when he gets a couple free hours. Expect them shortly, but not immediately.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Congratulations to Liberty Middle School, who defeated Discovery Middle School in the Hoover MS Melee this past Saturday. Liberty averaged over 600 points per game in this tournament, and won handily in each match, even against other strong teams. They are a very strong team that ought to be planning to attend MS Nationals this year, as they have a legit shot at being a top tier team.

Stats are up at stats.neg5.org or http://bit.ly/2019MSM.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by iarehavethestupid »

Joshua Rutsky wrote: Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:11 pm Congratulations to Liberty Middle School, who defeated Discovery Middle School in the Hoover MS Melee this past Saturday. Liberty averaged over 600 points per game in this tournament, and won handily in each match, even against other strong teams. They are a very strong team that ought to be planning to attend MS Nationals this year, as they have a legit shot at being a top tier team.

Stats are up at stats.neg5.org or http://bit.ly/2019MSM.
:grin:
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

ASCA District Results - State Qualifiers from each district:

Athens: Sparkman, Grissom (Div 1), Elkmont (Div. 2)
Bevil: Demopolis (Div 1), Lamar County (Div 2)
Central: Sylacauga (Div 1), Leeds (Div 2)
Coastal: Alma Bryant (Div 1)
Enterprise: Enterprise (Div 1), T. R. Miller (Div 2)
Gadsden: Gadsden City (Div 1), Ashville (Div 2)
Jeff State: Vestavia Hills, Hoover (Div 1)
Northwest: Florence (Div 1), East Lawrence (Div 2)
Wallace: West Point (Div 1), Good Hope (Div 2)

Wildcard teams: Altamont, Hewitt-Trussville, LAMP, Randolph, Southside (Div 1)
Brooks, Clarke County, Holtville, Montevallo, West Limestone (Div 2)

Two spots are awaiting the winners of the AISA State Tourney. Should any teams decline their bid to state, alternate teams will be notified by the tournament coordinator.

Congratulations to all State Qualifiers, and good luck on April 12th!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by MatthewJBishop »

Only recently discovered this site, so if this is the wrong place to post, I'm sorry!

What are the thoughts on the Division II teams right now? I think us at Miller has a pretty decent chance, but I don't know much about the others.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Congratulations to the winners from yesterday’s state events:

Middle School champions Liberty Middle School

Elementary School champions Opelika Middle School

JV Champions Hoover High School



Varsity championships will be this April.

As for Division II, I think that the top four are Miller, Good Hope, Elkmont, and East Lawrence, and of those four, Good Hope and Miller look like the teams to beat. I’ve seen GH play, and they are a good team, so there should be some good matches there.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by quipui »

Congrats to Hoover! I heard that Kapil was excellent. I’ll just take a moment to plug Altamont for improving from 6th to 2nd from 2018 to 2019. I’m looking forward to a Varsity Hoover rematch (with the A-squad present).
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by LlamaDoomRider »

Mr. Rutsky, since that tournament was your last tournament to direct, do you have any idea who will succeed you?
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

At Hoover High, Mr. Caine will be taking over the head coaching duties, with help from Mr. Hamley. As far as the state MS/JV/ES tourney goes, I think that given the size of the ES field now and the quality JV players out there, ASCA will be looking closely at breaking these events up somewhat. We know that JV and Varsity cannot be held the same day, so that isn’t going to happen, but I think there is a good chance we break the ES tourney out to a different date—perhaps in March—at a new site. Hoover has been a great location for these events, given the size and resources to make it run relatively smoothly, and I think ASCA will try to provide Mr. Caine and company with the help needed to keep MS there, and possibly JV. I myself won’t be running the show, but in my role as an ASCA board member, I will still be helping out where I can. I have tremendous confidence in Mr. Caine, who played for me years ago and understands what has always been the most important part of Hoover Scholars Bowl to me—work hard, win the right way, and leave the community better than when you found it.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

quipui wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 3:37 pm Congrats to Hoover! I heard that Kapil was excellent. I’ll just take a moment to plug Altamont for improving from 6th to 2nd from 2018 to 2019. I’m looking forward to a Varsity Hoover rematch (with the A-squad present).
Hoover and Altamont should be quite a matchup, and the matches between those two and Vestavia Hills as well. I would not be surprised at all to see two of those three teams in the finals, and the third in the consolation match.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by MatthewJBishop »

Is there any chance of Division I and II dates being split up again, or will it continue to be on the same day?
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by iarehavethestupid »

Joshua Rutsky wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 9:02 am Congratulations to the winners from yesterday’s state events:

Middle School champions Liberty Middle School
:grin:

At districts, the tournament director mentioned that ASCA was considering bringing 3-part bonuses to the MS division. Has there been any progress on the topic?
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Question 1: Virtually no chance of splitting the dates for Div 1 and Div 2.

Question 2: Changes of that sort are all discussed and handled over the summer.

Here's some stats for you:

ASCA Districts - Jeff State

MS State

JV State

ES State is being entered and should be up in a day or so.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Zealots of Stockholm »

Joshua Rutsky wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:53 pm
quipui wrote: Sun Feb 24, 2019 3:37 pm Congrats to Hoover! I heard that Kapil was excellent. I’ll just take a moment to plug Altamont for improving from 6th to 2nd from 2018 to 2019. I’m looking forward to a Varsity Hoover rematch (with the A-squad present).
Hoover and Altamont should be quite a matchup, and the matches between those two and Vestavia Hills as well. I would not be surprised at all to see two of those three teams in the finals, and the third in the consolation match.
Echoing this, all three of these teams were excellent at Auburn last weekend. The games between Vestavia and Altamont were excellent and Hoover cracked 20 PPB with their JV team, Kapil is extremely good for a freshman! All three seem like probable playoff teams at HSNCT if they go.

I'm hoping Good Hope can pull out the win in Division II!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by eacov101 »

Hi there everyone! I'm a student from Enterprise High School. I'm pretty sure I'm the first student from my school to create an account here. I absolutely love quizbowl and I'm excited for the state tournament. (At the same time, however, I'm worried our team is gonna get crushed. I just want us to do as well as possible - we haven't made it to state in years.)
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by bretthogan43 »

eacov101 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:03 am Hi there everyone! I'm a student from Enterprise High School. I'm pretty sure I'm the first student from my school to create an account here. I absolutely love quizbowl and I'm excited for the state tournament. (At the same time, however, I'm worried our team is gonna get crushed. I just want us to do as well as possible - we haven't made it to state in years.)
I completely understand where you're coming from and let me offer you some advice- just be happy you're there at all. You automatically get to say you're at least 24th best in the state. Just play like you have nothing to lose when you're playing the elite teams and you'll do great. Also, if memory serves me correctly, I played against Enterprise at ASCA state two years ago when year my team made it.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by eacov101 »

bretthogan43 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 9:03 pm
eacov101 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:03 am Hi there everyone! I'm a student from Enterprise High School. I'm pretty sure I'm the first student from my school to create an account here. I absolutely love quizbowl and I'm excited for the state tournament. (At the same time, however, I'm worried our team is gonna get crushed. I just want us to do as well as possible - we haven't made it to state in years.)
I completely understand where you're coming from and let me offer you some advice- just be happy you're there at all. You automatically get to say you're at least 24th best in the state. Just play like you have nothing to lose when you're playing the elite teams and you'll do great. Also, if memory serves me correctly, I played against Enterprise at ASCA state two years ago when year my team made it.
Thanks for the advice!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Welcome to the forums!

To echo what Brett said, making it to State is a big deal in and of itself. That’s a place to start and to take pride in. That said, when you go to state, you are always going to have to play the best teams, but why can’t Enterprise be one of the best teams? There are three things you need to do to be a state contender. First, you have to practice. That’s pretty obvious. Second, you have to compete against the best teams you can find to play and do so as often as you can. Your game will always improve from playing a strong team. Finally, and most importantly, you have to WANT to be the champions. Not “oh, that would be cool, wouldn’t it?” type want, but a “this WILL happen and I WILL make it happen” want. Your coach and team practices are a small part of the equation next to what a player who truly wants to be a champion will do on his or her own.

Decide to move mountains, then make everyone else get out of the way. Good luck!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by eacov101 »

Joshua Rutsky wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:08 pm Welcome to the forums!

To echo what Brett said, making it to State is a big deal in and of itself. That’s a place to start and to take pride in. That said, when you go to state, you are always going to have to play the best teams, but why can’t Enterprise be one of the best teams? There are three things you need to do to be a state contender. First, you have to practice. That’s pretty obvious. Second, you have to compete against the best teams you can find to play and do so as often as you can. Your game will always improve from playing a strong team. Finally, and most importantly, you have to WANT to be the champions. Not “oh, that would be cool, wouldn’t it?” type want, but a “this WILL happen and I WILL make it happen” want. Your coach and team practices are a small part of the equation next to what a player who truly wants to be a champion will do on his or her own.

Decide to move mountains, then make everyone else get out of the way. Good luck!
Thank you for the wonderful advice! I'm trying to take this mentality as I practice for the competition. I'm getting more excited each and every day.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by K@b00m »

Regarding ranking discussions and the like for Alabama for this year: At the end of last year's thread, I listed the teams from our state that I thought would be in the hunt for the title this year, and some reasons why I felt that way. After this year's ACE Camp at Huntsville gave me a chance to take a closer look at some of the players, here's my start of year rankings. As always, YMMV.

1. Gadsden City
Sorry, Coach Davenport, but your team gets the kiss of death top ranking to start the year. In many ways, the title is Gadsden's to lose this season. They are fielding a very solid team, anchored by Josh Kelley and Claire Tumlin. Both are good players, and both have valuable experience playing top teams. Claire has continued to improve her lit game, and unless Jenny Baek worked hard over the summer, she's solidified her place as #2 in the state behind Anna Muthalaly. Mustafa looked like he was gaining some momentum as well at camp. This is a good team, and if they can build some confidence during the regular season, they will be very tough to beat this year at state.

2. Hoover
It's hard to rank a team that lost three starters of the four at #2 in the state, but based on what I have seen, Hoover belongs there. This isn't a knock on other teams, but rather a testament to how good Anna is and how talented some of her supporting cast will be. Kapil Nathan finished multiple events at ACE camp in the top five as a rising freshman, and will join a large group of younger players who got a lot of varsity playing time last season. Hoover has three big questions to answer, however, at the start of the year: 1) Who is going to be the science player? 2) Can someone emerge as a consistent history player? 3) Can the team gel into a group that works together? There's a lot of talent, but a lot of question marks as well.

3. Altamont
Vivek Sasse will make this team one that is capable of beating any other team in the state in a given match. His supporting cast will determine how consistently he can achieve that.

4. Indian Springs
Replace Vivek Sasse with Will Smith, and you have the same basic situation at Indian Springs as you do at Altamont.

5. Sylacauga
Will Hughes and company were good enough to make the finals of the ASC TV show last season. They lost Gianna Silva, but they are still going to be solid, especially if Will gets focused in.

6. LAMP
The dark horse team in this group of six. LAMP is very hard to rank, as they have consistently been a solid team, but haven't tipped over into the top tier in recent seasons. This may be the year they do so. They've been travelling to nationals for a couple of years, know what to expect in pressure situations, and have some quality rising players. This may be the year they crack the final four.

7-10. Spain Park, Grissom, Southside, Hewitt-Trussville, in no particular order. These are teams we will need to see before we can judge how far they can go.


Taking into account what you have seen this year at the various touraments around the state, Mr. Rutsky, what would be a rough prediction on how States will go next Friday? Are there any teams that are moving around the ranking above?
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

That does look like something I wrote, even if I can't find it.

How would I rank things going into State? What, you want me to provide bulletin board material for everyone? :)

I think that at the moment, anyone who looks at the state field dispassionately and at the results from this year sees that there are three teams that have set themselves as top contenders, several teams that are in striking distance, and then some long shots.

The three at the top:

1) Vestavia Hills. Because Walter. Look, even if he is playing in the zone this year at some events, he's got to be putting up nearly 10 powers a game at this point. I don't know how he went into overdrive this year, but he has clearly boosted his game to a new level, and anyone else winning state depends on containing Walter and depriving him of toss-ups. Vestavia does very well converting bonuses, and aren't going to leave much on the table.

2) Altamont and Hoover. I can't really call this one because I can't recall if the two teams have played head-to-head this year. I think that they did, and I think Hoover won, but I can't check because NAQT's team database is down at the moment. Regardless, Altamont has Vivek Sasse, who is a great player, and has a great supporting cast. I put Altamont and Hoover behind Vestavia because Vestavia has not played a full Hoover squad this year, so I can't know what that matchup will be like, and because Vestavia has the edge over Altamont in play this year.

Any of those three teams could win State without it being a surprise.

Right behind them I'd put Gadsden City, which didn't have the season I expected, but has always played well at State. They are experienced and don't get rattled often. They could upset one of the top three if they have a good match or the right packet.

After that, things get a little murkier. Grissom is strong, but are they top five? I don't really know--I haven't seen enough from them. Same goes for Alma Bryant -- they are a good team, but they also play teams from north Alabama so infrequently it is hard to know what they will do. Southside, Hewitt, and LAMP all have programs that can pull the upset, although they would need a bigger swing to catch a top three team.

Frankly, it is really hard to rank teams going into State, because a lot can happen at State, and the drive of a team going in makes a big difference in the results coming out. But look on the bright side - all of this is moot in two weeks, because all of these teams will have to play and beat the best to win. Good luck to everyone!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by MatthewJBishop »

As another South Alabama team, though we haven't played any of these times in a match that really counted, though we did get to play LAMP at our qualifiers, in a bye round. The game didn't count for anything, so they could have easily not really tried at all, but we beat them, and I didn't get the feel that it was incredibly close.

We've shared two common opponents with Alma Bryant as well, Bayside, and UMS, and we had comparable scores against UMS, though they beat Bayside, and we didn't, though we were essentially cheated out of that win. So if any of that means anything, I think they're a good team, but not an absolutely elite team.

Or then again, all of this may be useless and circumstantial.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by didiandgogo »

MatthewJBishop wrote: Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:07 pm We've shared two common opponents with Alma Bryant as well, Bayside, and UMS, and we had comparable scores against UMS, though they beat Bayside, and we didn't, though we were essentially cheated out of that win. So if any of that means anything, I think they're a good team, but not an absolutely elite team.
Hey, thanks for the acknowledgement. I'm just hoping we make playoffs, and I'm excited to play against some really good teams (and this time maybe not lose by 500 points).
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by MatthewJBishop »

No problem! By any chance, is there any chance of Alma Bryant going to the Baldwin County tournament in Bay Minette next year? A bunch of Mobile area schools go there, and I'd love to have a chance to play Alma again before I graduate.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by didiandgogo »

Probably not, if only because we've always done the Mobile County tournament. I don't know the exact logistics behind that and CACC's organization of the teams, but it's unlikely regardless. Still, you're not missing that much, I'd say.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by eacov101 »

K@b00m wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:36 pm Regarding ranking discussions and the like for Alabama for this year: At the end of last year's thread, I listed the teams from our state that I thought would be in the hunt for the title this year, and some reasons why I felt that way. After this year's ACE Camp at Huntsville gave me a chance to take a closer look at some of the players, here's my start of year rankings. As always, YMMV.

1. Gadsden City
Sorry, Coach Davenport, but your team gets the kiss of death top ranking to start the year. In many ways, the title is Gadsden's to lose this season. They are fielding a very solid team, anchored by Josh Kelley and Claire Tumlin. Both are good players, and both have valuable experience playing top teams. Claire has continued to improve her lit game, and unless Jenny Baek worked hard over the summer, she's solidified her place as #2 in the state behind Anna Muthalaly. Mustafa looked like he was gaining some momentum as well at camp. This is a good team, and if they can build some confidence during the regular season, they will be very tough to beat this year at state.

2. Hoover
It's hard to rank a team that lost three starters of the four at #2 in the state, but based on what I have seen, Hoover belongs there. This isn't a knock on other teams, but rather a testament to how good Anna is and how talented some of her supporting cast will be. Kapil Nathan finished multiple events at ACE camp in the top five as a rising freshman, and will join a large group of younger players who got a lot of varsity playing time last season. Hoover has three big questions to answer, however, at the start of the year: 1) Who is going to be the science player? 2) Can someone emerge as a consistent history player? 3) Can the team gel into a group that works together? There's a lot of talent, but a lot of question marks as well.

3. Altamont
Vivek Sasse will make this team one that is capable of beating any other team in the state in a given match. His supporting cast will determine how consistently he can achieve that.

4. Indian Springs
Replace Vivek Sasse with Will Smith, and you have the same basic situation at Indian Springs as you do at Altamont.

5. Sylacauga
Will Hughes and company were good enough to make the finals of the ASC TV show last season. They lost Gianna Silva, but they are still going to be solid, especially if Will gets focused in.

6. LAMP
The dark horse team in this group of six. LAMP is very hard to rank, as they have consistently been a solid team, but haven't tipped over into the top tier in recent seasons. This may be the year they do so. They've been travelling to nationals for a couple of years, know what to expect in pressure situations, and have some quality rising players. This may be the year they crack the final four.

7-10. Spain Park, Grissom, Southside, Hewitt-Trussville, in no particular order. These are teams we will need to see before we can judge how far they can go.


Taking into account what you have seen this year at the various touraments around the state, Mr. Rutsky, what would be a rough prediction on how States will go next Friday? Are there any teams that are moving around the ranking above?
Hey, I noticed that you mentioned ACE Camp at the beginning of this post. I don't think anyone from my school (Enterprise) has ever been to ACE, and I've never heard my coach mention it. I've seen it mentioned several times both on this forum and on the ASCA website, but each time I've tried to access the ACE website it hasn't worked. I love quiz bowl, and if this camp is a good way to improve, I'd like to attend. However, I know almost nothing about it. Could anyone provide me with some more information, and perhaps a way to sign up for it? Thank you!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Golden Tiger 86 »

eacov101 wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:00 am
K@b00m wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:36 pm Regarding ranking discussions and the like for Alabama for this year: At the end of last year's thread, I listed the teams from our state that I thought would be in the hunt for the title this year, and some reasons why I felt that way. After this year's ACE Camp at Huntsville gave me a chance to take a closer look at some of the players, here's my start of year rankings. As always, YMMV.

1. Gadsden City
Sorry, Coach Davenport, but your team gets the kiss of death top ranking to start the year. In many ways, the title is Gadsden's to lose this season. They are fielding a very solid team, anchored by Josh Kelley and Claire Tumlin. Both are good players, and both have valuable experience playing top teams. Claire has continued to improve her lit game, and unless Jenny Baek worked hard over the summer, she's solidified her place as #2 in the state behind Anna Muthalaly. Mustafa looked like he was gaining some momentum as well at camp. This is a good team, and if they can build some confidence during the regular season, they will be very tough to beat this year at state.

2. Hoover
It's hard to rank a team that lost three starters of the four at #2 in the state, but based on what I have seen, Hoover belongs there. This isn't a knock on other teams, but rather a testament to how good Anna is and how talented some of her supporting cast will be. Kapil Nathan finished multiple events at ACE camp in the top five as a rising freshman, and will join a large group of younger players who got a lot of varsity playing time last season. Hoover has three big questions to answer, however, at the start of the year: 1) Who is going to be the science player? 2) Can someone emerge as a consistent history player? 3) Can the team gel into a group that works together? There's a lot of talent, but a lot of question marks as well.

3. Altamont
Vivek Sasse will make this team one that is capable of beating any other team in the state in a given match. His supporting cast will determine how consistently he can achieve that.

4. Indian Springs
Replace Vivek Sasse with Will Smith, and you have the same basic situation at Indian Springs as you do at Altamont.

5. Sylacauga
Will Hughes and company were good enough to make the finals of the ASC TV show last season. They lost Gianna Silva, but they are still going to be solid, especially if Will gets focused in.

6. LAMP
The dark horse team in this group of six. LAMP is very hard to rank, as they have consistently been a solid team, but haven't tipped over into the top tier in recent seasons. This may be the year they do so. They've been travelling to nationals for a couple of years, know what to expect in pressure situations, and have some quality rising players. This may be the year they crack the final four.

7-10. Spain Park, Grissom, Southside, Hewitt-Trussville, in no particular order. These are teams we will need to see before we can judge how far they can go.


Taking into account what you have seen this year at the various touraments around the state, Mr. Rutsky, what would be a rough prediction on how States will go next Friday? Are there any teams that are moving around the ranking above?
Hey, I noticed that you mentioned ACE Camp at the beginning of this post. I don't think anyone from my school (Enterprise) has ever been to ACE, and I've never heard my coach mention it. I've seen it mentioned several times both on this forum and on the ASCA website, but each time I've tried to access the ACE website it hasn't worked. I love quiz bowl, and if this camp is a good way to improve, I'd like to attend. However, I know almost nothing about it. Could anyone provide me with some more information, and perhaps a way to sign up for it? Thank you!
I hope this helps....

https://acequizbowlcamps.com/when
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

For the record, Eleanor, I cannot answer you without noting that I am no longer affiliated with ACE camps. I worked with ACE for many years, and during that time I staffed camps in several places, and I helped to bring them to Alabama, but as of last year I decided that I wanted to pursue a different direction, and put the 20+ years of teaching and 10+ years of coaching to use to try to create a better camp experience with a strong instructional model. I am pleased that I was able to find support for this idea, and that Qwiz Camp is holding its first sessions this year. We will be holding a camp in Alabama (outside Birmingham) the week after July 4th, and you can check out our camp programming and what we're about at www.qwizbowl.com. If you have specific questions, I would be happy to answer them via private message, and of course, that goes for anyone else with questions as well. Several Alabama teams have already indicated they will be sending students to Qwiz this year, and I hope you will join them.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Golden Tiger 86 »

ASCA State Tournament results

Division 1
1st-Hoover
2nd-Vestavia Hills
3rd-Altamont
4th-Gadsden City

Division 2
1st-TR Miller
2nd-Good Hope
3rd-Elkmont
4th-Brooks
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by K@b00m »

Golden Tiger 86 wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:19 pm ASCA State Tournament results

Division 1
1st-Hoover
2nd-Vestavia Hills
3rd-Altamont
4th-Gadsden City

Division 2
1st-TR Miller
2nd-Good Hope
3rd-Elkmont
4th-Brooks
Congrats to everyone! Looks like it was a hard tournament! When will stats be up for this tournament? Btw, congrats to all the teams that went to play, and hope to see how the competition is next year!

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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

This was an outstanding tournament.

I didn't get to watch Div II, but I know TR Miller had a great day, and Good Hope repeated as 4A State Champions as well. Elkmont continues to impress me with their top four finish every year. They have a good program!

In Div I, the big surprise was absolutely Alma Bryant, who came in and won their pool, beating Gadsden City and a couple other good teams in the process. They did a great job, and both the team and Coach Patrick should be proud of their performance, which is indicative of the time and effort they put in. Suttree's state MVP award was out of nowhere; that's a heck of a performance to outpace a machine like Walter Zhang, who was averaging something astronomical in PPG coming in. Suttree, if you aren't a senior, you should be going to camp this summer--you could really lead your team to something great next year. Eleanor from Enterprise finished in the top five in scoring; I hadn't seen her play, so I didn't know what she was capable of doing, but she can anchor a good team from there next year that can build on their state appearance.

Altamont put together a strong team and had a great run; they suffered from being in what was unquestionably the toughest pool in the tournament, still managed to snag a 3 seed, and capped their best year in a while with a third place state finish. It wasn't what they were hoping for, but they have lots to be proud of as well; their only losses came to Vestavia and Hoover, and they are the only team to put up wins against both of those squads this year. Vivek had a top five scoring finish as well--not a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention--but his teammates also continued their excellent play, particularly his brother Kuleen and Asher.

Vestavia finished their best season since their 2011 championship with their second place finish. They have been ranked as highly as #29 in the national Groger Rankings and #51 on hsqbrank, and Walter Zhang was named NAQT's national Player of the Week on February 16th. He put up some truly amazing numbers this season, and his teammates kept improving all year. I cannot recall a player who made a jump in performance like Walter's -- possibly Alvin Shi from ASFA more than a decade ago, but I don't think Alvin would have had a chance against Walter head-to-head. Vestavia had 5 games this season PRIOR to state where they put up 600+ points in a match, and were consistently over 20 PPB. If they attend HSNCT- and I hope they do! - they will undoubtedly be a playoff team.

Obviously, I'm unbelievably proud of my Hoover team. Despite never making waves in the national rankings this year, largely because they never played competitively together until Snead State, they worked all year to get ready to make a run at State. They knew they would have to beat Altamont and Vestavia to win, and that both teams were very, very good. Having Anna as your anchor goes a LONG way, and the rest of the team counted on her for stability. Kapil, who started the year as a player who was locked in on his own performance and being the best individual player in the nation, willingly adjusted his game and his study habits to make himself into a team player who could dominate his areas, History and Geography. He sacrificed his almost certain all-star medal for a state title, and I'm proud of him for making that choice. Luke and Hudson teamed up to push each other to become excellent science players, and Claire and Kenneth picked up fine arts and changed an area of weakness into a strength. They won as a team, and with three ninth graders and a tenth grader.

Alabama quizbowl is truly something to be proud of, and our teams and players are better every year.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by bretthogan43 »

Good luck to all Alabama teams as nationals start this weekend.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

Congratulations to West Point on their top 20 finish at SSNCT! Congratulations to Altamont (50th) and East Lawrence (57th) for their performances as well.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by literatureboye »

Congratulations to Liberty's 2018-2019 team for placing 4th at MSNCT, which I believe was the deepest run of any Alabama team at any national tournament. They went 6-2 in the prelim rounds on Saturday and went undefeated during the morning playoff rounds. I hope you guys continue to excel in the next 4 years, if you go on to James Clemens.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by CPiGuy »

literatureboye wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 8:44 pm I believe was the deepest run of any Alabama team at any national tournament.
Chandler West said this is the case.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Joshua Rutsky »

It is unquestionably the case. It was a remarkable performance, but what really makes it important is what it says about the nature of this game--that a group of students who are willing to put in the time and effort and work together can achieve at the highest levels, and anyone who dares to dismiss them because of who they are or where they live is a fool. And if you want to see just how important it is to be a team, look at their stat lines as individuals.

Congratulations, Liberty! You earned that finish, and we are all proud of you.

This team will undoubtedly be in contention for HS state next year, which sets the stage for some interesting storylines for the title chase for next year.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Zealots of Stockholm »

This year's Liberty team was incredibly impressive, and I was ecstatic to be able to watch an Alabama team in the afternoon rounds. I knew they were good coming in, but I certainly wasn't plugged in enough to know they were that good. They seemed especially strong on history, with strong lit and science specialists as well based on the games I got to see. Truly a balanced team, and I would guess they were one of the only teams where every player scored at least 25PPG. If you need any further evidence, they beat eventual champion Hunter in a game in which their top scorer went 0/0/1 according to the stats.

I imagine James Clemens will be one of the top teams in the state next year, and Ethan Xu will probably be one of the best individual players (in addition to having excellent teammates). Having seen them both play a few games, I would say Kapil Nathan is probably better right now, but Ethan is ahead of where Kapil was coming into HS.

I'll end with a hot take: Liberty would have been a top 5 or so HS team in the state this year.

Congrats, Liberty!
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by Golden Tiger 86 »

Liberty is the best MS team I've ever personally seen. I was hoping that they'd do well at nationals, and they earned all their plaudits.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by K@b00m »

I really think that Liberty will go on to be a top team in High School.

Given their domination at MSNCT, the Liberty team really did amazing stuff this year. Given their victory against the eventual national champions at MSNCT, Hunter in NY, the James Clemens team will really be one to fear for the next 4-5 years. With each player actively studying their respective categories and going deep in it, next year's JV and Varsity championships will be VERY brutal. Mr. Chandler West's earlier post confirms this. If there was a JV championship, I have no doubt that Liberty would again get a very high placing.

I have almost no doubt that the Liberty Team this year will go on to get top 4 at HSNCT at least once when the time comes. For now, HSNCT is this weekend. I wish good luck to the teams that are going, and thanks to EVERYONE who played in Alabama Quiz Bowl this year. This has been an amazing year not just for me, but for other players and teams, coaches, and even spectators.

Once again, congrats to the entire Liberty Team consisting of Yuti Das, Ethan Xu, Austen Wyche, and Joshua Wang, recieving 4th at MSNCT. I also want to give a big congratulations to the Alabama teams that went to SSNCT:

1) West Point, coming in Tied for 17th, with team members Declan Cornett, Carter Duke, Carson Partain, Danica Thornton, Lily Whitesell, and Garrett Willingham.

2) Good Hope, coming in 40th, with team members Peyton Hall, Tyler Kraus, James McWhorter, Daniel Price, and Madalyn Williams. This team played really well at Division 2 States.

3) East Lawrence, coming in 57th, with team members Carter Cantrell, Bryant Gillespie, Jacob Jones, and Hunter Owens.

4) Altamont, coming in 27th in the open division, with team members Hannah Ashraf, Kuleen and Vivek Sasse, Maddie Thomas, Tyler Walley, and Maaz Zuberi.

5) Westbrook Christian, coming in 59th, with team members Trent Atkins, Jacob Kelley, Russell Pair, and Will Vice.

6) Pickens Academy, coming in 65th, with team members Travis Dean, Isabella Dee, Clay Gibson, Austin Goodman, Libby Jaynes, Sydney Kilpatrick, Mason McCool, and James Parker.

Congrats to everybody, and good luck to those teams going to HSNCT this weekend! In addition, I hope to see a few Alabama QB players at camps over the summer. Thank you all for such a good year, and hope to compete against all of you again next year! :)

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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by literatureboye »

Does anyone have predictions for next year's circuits?
I've gotta say, Liberty is impressive, but they'll probably have a tough fight against Kapil and his squad. In addition to Liberty and Hoover, there'll likely be a team that comes out of nowhere, similarly to Walter Zhang.
As for LAMP, although they didn't do to well this year without Jenny Baek, I'll be hoping that we can rebound and finish higher, at both JV State and Varsity State.
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Re: Alabama 2018-2019

Post by K@b00m »

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literatureboye wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:34 am Does anyone have predictions for next year's circuits?
I've gotta say, Liberty is impressive, but they'll probably have a tough fight against Kapil and his squad. In addition to Liberty and Hoover, there'll likely be a team that comes out of nowhere, similarly to Walter Zhang.
As for LAMP, although they didn't do to well this year without Jenny Baek, I'll be hoping that we can rebound and finish higher, at both JV State and Varsity State.

So Jordan, what I think is that we'll have to see. Basically, we just have to wait for a few months in the high school year to see how the rankings will move around. JV is basically a few steps up from Middle School in terms of the canon, but also is a little harder especially since JV is played almost exclusively on an A set throughout the entire year. Then again, an A set is basically as long as or just longer than the questions that they use at MSNCT. Things will get interesting when we get to playing season, meaning after winter break. Then, a definitive view will come into place. I think that Hoover has a high chance at winning states again, but as you said, there is a chance of a team coming from out of the dark and into the spotlight, similar to Walter Zhang. Alma Bryant has a really good player, Suttree, who overtook Walter's individual scoring title at ASCA State. JV is going to be hard next year, no doubt about it. With players like Kapil and Lewis, and their teams, with the addition of Liberty and Baldwin, JV is going to be a shoot-out. However, we'll just have to wait and see. In the words of Alexandre Dumas, "All human wisdom is contained in these two words, 'Wait and Hope."'
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