Thinking she will stump both teams, the Quiz Bowl moderator poses a question that only the most astute competitors will know.

“Cities in this region include Sant Julià de Lòria and Soledad, which lies on the Madrid River. For ten points, name the tiny autonomous state that has a capital that shares its name, and that is situated between France and Spain.”

But she fails to recognize the brainpower of Cathedral Catholic High School’s Keoni Rodriguez.

Rodriguez ’17, captain of the Cathedral Catholic High School Quiz Bowl team, gains the team ten points by answering Principality of Andorra.

Chalk up another victory for the Dons.

During the course of the academic year, the CCHS Quiz Bowl team competes in six Quiz Bowl tournaments in which players attempt to buzz in on pyramid-style questions, ranging from pop culture to science, to earn points for their teams.

“I am very passionate and proactive about it and decided to join the team my sophomore year because I was told it was like playing my favorite show, Jeopardy,” Rodriguez said. “I was attracted to the competitive aspect of academics, and I fell in love with it right away.”

Rodriguez spends his afternoons reading and absorbing various books, documentaries, and past Quiz Bowl questions. He also meets the rest of the Quiz Bowl team twice a week in CCHS moderator Mr. Dan Dahms’ room to practice for tournaments by having discussions and reading even more material.

Although the team has not won many awards, Rodriguez individually placed second overall at the team’s last tournament.

“I have also been lucky enough to qualify for National Competition for the geography Olympiad and the National History Bee and will be traveling to Washington D.C. this April to compete for these tournaments,” Rodriguez said.

Fellow teammate Jorge Martin ’18 also shares the passion of quiz bowl, and he aspires to be the head captain next year as a senior.

“Quiz bowl has become something like a sport to me, as I spend a lot of time practicing,” Martin said. “Doing Quiz Bowl has allowed me to meet many amazing people and has introduced me to things I never would have been interested in. I’ve learned so much about science, art, and history.

“I feel like a significantly more knowledgeable person after joining Quiz Bowl.”

The Quiz Bowl team allows students to express their intellectual minds and grow in depth as a person. Competition ties in competitive play with mental ability, making the game highly engaging.

“Quiz Bowl is a very intimidating competition, and it can be very difficult for newcomers to continue what feels like a losing battle,” Martin said. “I’ve met some frighteningly intelligent people from Quiz Bowl, and they are so knowledgeable about so many things.

“Playing at a high level requires a ton of practice.”

Martin and Rodriguez, along with their fellow teammates, currently are preparing for a matches versus Mira Mesa High School and Bishops High School. The team’s record is 2-1.

“In other words, Quiz Bowl is basically the ultimate nerd competition,” Martin said.