The Bexley High School team that practices weekly by reading, researching and watching “Jeopardy” episodes reached their goal – winning the 2018 WOSU In the Know tournament on February 12. The four-member varsity team consisting of senior John D’Alessandro, juniors William Rauschenberg, Henry Greentree and Lee Cook defeated Thomas Worthington in the televised finals by a score of 705 to 385. The win came with $8,000 in scholarships from The Ohio State University.
BHS science teacher Nikki Hoch coaches both the varsity and junior varsity In the Know teams. In the four years Hoch has coached the teams, they have won the Northeast League championship and placed second in the WBNS-10TV “Brain Game” in 2015. This is the first time in a decade Bexley’s In the Know Team has gone on to the televised finals. “Our In the Know team has been knocked out of the OSU tourney by a single question the past two years, so this victory was exceptionally sweet” said Hoch.
“I feel we’ve had a good combination of knowledge and luck,” said senior D’Alessandro. The competition is not the hardest part, D’Alessandro believes. “For me the hardest part of being on television is giving a half-time presentation,” he said, that’s when the presenters expect competitors to briefly say who they are and how long they have been involved with In the Know.” “Being on TV is nerve-wracking,” Greentree agreed.
In the Know matches four-member high school teams against each other to answer a variety of questions based on general high school subjects ranging from science to visual arts. The tournament consists of a single-elimination bracket composed of 64 central Ohio high school teams. Originally conceived in 1966 and broadcast on WBNS 10TV, In the Know has aired on WOSU for the past 34 years and now includes scholarship funding from The Ohio State University to the top four schools.
Bexley High School has a long history of In the Know participation dating back to the 1960’s. In 2012 and 2013, Bexley was runner-up in the tournament. Bexley teams won the tournament in 2011, 2001 and 1992.