Danville’s TAG teacher Melissa Parker moderates a Scholars’ Bowl round between Priceville Elementary and Priceville Junior High School during the Morgan County Scholars’ Bowl tournament at Cotaco Junior High School Thursday. | Joy Haynes

The bi-annual fall Morgan County Scholars’ Bowl competition was held at Cotaco Junior High School Thursday.

One team from each of the 10 Morgan County schools involved faced off in 11 rounds of play to determine a winner. According to Cotaco’s gifted specialist Paula Kiggins, 105 students were participating in the tournament.

“Most [talented and gifted] teachers at each school have try-outs for any student who wants to participate,” Kiggins said. “There a technically seven students on a team with four playing in each round, but most of us will bring all the kids that come to practice. We started letting the teams be bigger, so our usual 70 kids is now 105. We figured there was no reason to not let them all participate.”

Each round of the tournament includes matches of two teams who compete against each other to answer three rounds of questions. The first round is 10 questions worth 10 points each. The second round is 10 questions with 10 bonus questions worth a total of 15 points each. The third round is a written test with 20 questions that allows the entire team to discuss and answer.

Each round has a possible 300 points up for grabs. During the second round of questions, if the answering team incorrectly answers the bonus question, the opposing team is allowed a chance to answer for a steal and the bonus points.

Kiggins said each team works out their substitutions on their own.

“Each team has a captain, and the captain and the team decide together which four will play each round,” Kiggins said. “They have the opportunity to swap after each round, but they don’t have to. We have found it works better when we let the kids decide. Of course their goal is to win, but most of them swap impartially and let everyone get some playing time.”

The questions used in each round are a compilation of questions bought from scholars’ bowl resources and submissions from each school.

Kiggins said her team practices by using practice books from the Internet and Campbell’s Quiz Bowl books. She also has them come up with 10 questions and answers each week on a specific subject.

The teams placing first through fourth at the end of the day get a trophy.