Last year, Grady Noble was all by himself as the “team” representing Boise North Junior High.  In a first in our 4+ decades of running competitions, Grady won the Middle School division of the National History Challenge.  This year they (now Boise High) registered too late but an eleventh-hour cancellation opened a spot for them.  Grady has a supporting cast – somewhere – but they were unable to join him considering the late notice.  This time Grady Noble won the high school div. of the National History Challenge – all by himself.

It was a close call against Sparta (NJ) in the semifinals, with Boise winning 160-130, while University of Detroit Jesuit defeated South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Math, 170-95.  In the finals, Jesuit led by 10 points after the first period, by 5 points after the second period.  Trailing by 15 points midway through the final period, Boise (i.e. Grady) took the lead on this question:

Name the European battle which began in the heat of July 1916, and ended in November’s frost.

         Ans.  Somme

Boise extended their lead on this one:

Who was the last man to go from the vice-presidency to the White House without succeeding the president under whom he served?

         Ans.  Joe Biden

And put the game out of reach on a steal:

From his federal penitentiary cell, Eugene V. Debs fulminated, “No public man in public life in American history ever retired so thoroughly discredited, so scathingly rebuked, so overwhelmingly impeached and repudiated.”  What U.S. President, who sent Debs to jail, was he talking about?

         Ans.  Woodrow Wilson

The final score was Boise 200, Detroit Jesuit 145.

In the middle school division, Warren Middle School (NJ) won all of their games, none of which were close.  They overcame Crestview (OH) 185-90 in the finals.