Maurice J. McDonough High School returned to the It’s Academic winner’s circle Nov. 30 at the end of the regional competition. This is the second consecutive year the Rams have taken first place in the local competition. The on-stage team was made up of Julie Perriello, a sophomore and team captain, and seniors Jean Hughes and Skylar Belisle. The team scored 280 points to secure the top spot.

Each year, the county regional winner goes on to compete in another match against Washington, D.C., metropolitan  area schools. The team — Perriello, Belisle and alternate Laila Holloway (Hughes was out of the country) — won the next round of play against Sidwell Friends School and South Lakes High School in a virtual contest that will air on WETA in April. McDonough advances to a playoff match to be filmed in studio in February. The Rams are set to face off against St. Albans School and James Hubert Blake high schools. No air date is set yet for the McDonough, St. Albans and Blake competition.

“They’re all great kids,” Joanna Hobbs, McDonough’s school librarian and team co-sponsor, said. “They study hard.”

As the daughter of Henry E. Lackey High School Principal Kathy Perriello, Julie Perriello has grown up attending It’s Academic competitions. Couple that experience with watching Jeopardy and copious amounts of reading, Perriello has a handle on gathering and remembering facts and bits of trivia. Her team member, Belisle, also takes in new information and files it away. “I really like learning new things about a lot of different subjects,” she said.

North Point High School placed second with 260 points. The on-stage team consisted of James Olmstead, a senior and the team’s captain; and juniors Jeremiah Seger and Zena Brantuo. Coming in third place was the team from La Plata High School with 220 points. The Warriors on-stage team was captained by William Alcorn, a junior, with sophomores Isaiah DeLeonard and Anne Vazhappilly rounding out the team.

As the second-place regional winner, North Point earned a chance to compete in a regional match that will air on WETA next fall. Representatives from the Greater Waldorf

Jaycees presented the McDonough team with a $500 scholarship for its first-place win at regionals. Team members include Perriello, Belisle, Hughes, Holloway and other student members Jayme Byrd-Taft, Noah Cusack, Aiden Gibney, Christopher Jozwik, Jenna Moniz and Ava Rowledge. Coaches are Hobbs and Mary Howard Dempsey.

As second-place winners, the North Point team received a $250 scholarship from the Jaycees. In addition to Olmstead, Seger and Brantuo, the Eagles team is made up of Addyson Jordan, alternate, Corrine Welsh, William Tomaszewski, Alicia Warren, Erin Cooley, Daniella Ghonda, Noah Strawberry, Julianne Tinana, Adaeze Eluwa, Hilda Sanchez Rivera, Adebola Oluyede, Hooria Umer and Shreeya Chada. Moriah Rochlinski-Evans is the coach. The late Deen Stewart, who passed away in November, also served as a coach.

For participation in the competition, all other high school teams received a $250 scholarship from the Jaycees. Schools compete in the event by selecting three members of their team to participate in the rounds.

Members of the La Plata team include Alcorn, DeLeonard and Vazhappilly, as well as team alternate Christopher Burtch, Brady Keech, Gabriela Almaraz, Qiang Fawls, Sarah Dang, Addison Sheridan, Kya Schoen, Mark White and Kaleb Hubler. Coaches are Matthew Panzarella and Michelle Schoenbauer.

The Henry E. Lackey High School on-stage team includes captain Gabriel Revelle, a senior, Blake Hancock, a senior, and sophomore Rajan Venkatesh. Rounding out the team are alternate Lillian Conine and Bryce Payne. James Hojnowski is the coach.

The team from St. Charles High School includes the on-stage trio of captain Rezaiah Casey, a senior, and juniors Chloe Del Rosario and Anthony Bradshaw. Alternate Elizabeth Holmes, Ara Pitts and Coy Wallace are also on the team for the Spartans. Michael Colatruglio and Matthew Howard are the team coaches.

Thomas Stone High School’s on-stage team is made up of captain Jonathan Rand-Crawford, a senior, Olivia Warren, a senior, and sophomore Kathryn Daniel. Other team members include alternate Charles Gaskins, Isabella Coleman, Juliet Brown, Jillian Daniel, Jordan Loeffler, Camille Saguban and Carliece Wiggins. The team coaches are Melissa Hatch and Renee Hopper.

The on-stage team for Westlake High School includes captain Ashley Rodriguez, a senior, and juniors Adam Alattas and Shania Davis. Other team members for the Wolverines include alternate Ria Garg, Amalachukwu Okoye, Sydney Lewis, Alita Sorrell, Oluebubechi Duru, Margareth Dagamac, Sameeha Agbaje, Jaden Strader and Monty Wheeler. Coaches are Natalie Finch-Howard and Lisa Landrum-May.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).