When most people hear the word “scrabble,” they automatically turn and run as if a lion roaring Qs, Xs, and (the most awful) Es is chasing them at lightning speed, scoring double and triple word scores left and right. Others meet the lion in fetal position, submitting to the terror and making meager two-letter words in hopes of satisfying the beast.
A different group of students met at the High School on Wednesday, February 13th. Instead of running at the lion, they ran full speed at each other. The scrabble battle that ensued was the revival of the Montage-St.Clarion Scrabble Tournament.
The Tournament has a long and troubled history: the first clash took place several years ago when, after weeks of confident anticipation on the part of the Montage staff, the Montage was defeated by the St. Clairion, and the rivalry retreated into a “dark ages.” The official “W” scrabble-tile trophy created by English teacher Ms. Cecilia’s father was “lost,” reportedly in the areas around the Graphic Arts lab.
In early 2013, the trophy was rediscovered by the Montage at its weekly Thursday meeting, and the Montage promptly contacted St. Clairion sponsor Ms. DeWalt to revive the tournament.
A renaissance of Scrabble occurred, with both sides preparing weekly and discussing strategies, especially concerning the placement of students at each board. The practice was beneficial to both sides, although the Montage, led by stars Brooks Wilding and Sam Schiffman, surged ahead in practice. It was decided that a five dollar admission fee would be charged to each player, and the proceeds were to be given to the Transportation for Education Fund.
The thirteenth arrived and the play commenced, officiated by Scrabble expert Ms. DeWalt, in Ms. DeWalt’s room. The St. Clairion had an impressive turnout, and likewise took an early lead in the tournament. Spread out over three boards, the games became impassioned and several taunts added heat to the already pressured two minute time-limited plays. Several new arrivals and the resulting shuffling of teams began to stack the odds back in the Montage’s favor. Late game surges, numerous word challenges, and several vowelless boards contributed to an exciting finish.
The Montage finished ahead with a score of 819 compared to a respectable St. Clarion total of 687. The MVP of the tournament was far and away Sam Schiffman who scored an impressive 166. Other honorable mentions went to St. Clarion member Hunter Lantzman, who scored 144, and Editor in Chief of the St. Clairion Aidan Leahy, who scored 103 on his board, among the most intense battles.
The final scores caused a roar of jubilation from the Montage and Editor-in-Chief Anna Rosati, who remarked, “I’ve waited four years, four long years, to reclaim the scrabble championship trophy. I am proud to know I have helped bring The Montage to victory, and I can now graduate with honor.” The St. Clairion remains optimistic for next year’s tourney and expects to regain its title, as long as the lion does not reach the Montage first.