Hanover
| Hanover Marauders | |
| |
|---|---|
| Location: Hanover, N.H. | |
| Coaches | Bill Murphy |
| State Championships | NHQBL 12 (1997-1998, 2001-2006, 2008-2010, 2012); Vt.-NEA 7 (1993, 2003-2004, 2008-2009, 2011-2012); Vt. NAQT 1 (2007) |
| National Championships | None |
| Program Status | Unknown |
| School Size | Unknown |
| NAQT Page | link |
Hanover High School is a public school with approximately 775 students. Located in Hanover, N.H., it is the high school of the Dresden School District, which is composed of Hanover and the Vermont town of Norwich. The school's two-state enrollment has allowed Hanover's quiz bowl team to compete in New Hampshire and Vermont, and the Marauders have won numerous state championships and other titles in both states.
New Hampshire
Hanover has been the dominant team in the New Hampshire Quiz Bowl League since the tournament was formed in 1996-97 school year, winning the championship 12 times. The Marauders won the first two NHQBL titles in 1997 and 1998 and then ran off six consecutive championships from 2001 to 2006 before losing the title to Manchester West in a tie-breaker match in 2007. Hanover reclaimed the crown in 2008 and successfully defended it each of the next two years.
The team has also enjoyed record success in New Hampshire Public Television's tournament, the Granite State Challenge. HHS won the single-elimination tournament -- which generally only allows schools to compete every other year -- in 1991, 2003 and 2007, making it one of three schools that have won the title three times along with Winnisquam and Alvirne.
Vermont
Hanover is a longtime member of the Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl and has consistently been one of Vermont's most successful teams. The Marauders own a record seven championships -- earned in 1993, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012 -- and have advanced to the final eleven times, also a record.
The Marauders also won the inaugural NAQT Vermont Championship in 2007.
National tournaments
Hanover has sent many players to the Panasonic Academic Challenge as members of the New Hampshire all-star team over the years. HHS players also made up the bulk of the Vermont all-star teams that went to Panasonic in 2003 and 2004 after the Marauders won the Vermont state title. The 2004 Vermont all-star team, featuring Hanover players Niall Prendergast, Evan Gardner, Harker Rhodes and Iain Prendergast, reached the PAC semifinals.
An appearance at the 2007 NAQT national tournament was Hanover's first at a tossup-bonus national tournament. The Marauders went 4-6 and captain Dylan Matthews made the all-star team as the tournament's 24th-highest scorer.
Hanover returned to NAQT nationals in 2009 and went 5-5, matching the best record posted by a Vermont team at a tossup-bonus national tournament.
Hanover reached the playoffs of the HSNCT for the first time in 2011, going 6-4 in the preliminary rounds and losing in the first round of the playoffs to Seton Hall (NJ). In 2012, Hanover was ranked 51st in the country by Fred Morlan prior to the tournament and predicted by HSNCT blogger Harry White to finish tied for 21st. Hanover went 7-3 in the prelims, losing to eventual tournament champion Bellarmine by only fifty points; in the playoffs, Hanover lost to St. Anselm's, beat Ezell-Harding, and lost to Torrey Pines to finish T-33rd.
Coach
Bill Murphy has coached Hanover for over two decades. He is the founder and director of the New Hampshire Quiz Bowl League and a member of the Vermont Scholars' Bowl board of directors. He also ran the Hanover Round Robin tournament until it was discontinued after the 2008-09 season and has coached the New Hampshire all-star team at PAC numerous times.
Notable players
- Niall Prendergast ('04)
- Evan Gardner ('04)
- Harker Rhodes ('05)
- Dylan Matthews ('08)
- Nick O'Leary ('10)