Go to: Commentary Games Teams Photos Standings Prizewinners

Back to NSSC 2008 Live Coverage

NSSC 2008 Commentary: Round 6

[ ]

Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Final Round 1.

Round 6

Once the doors were opened after lunch, the players streamed in, fortified and ready to play the final game. Ben Greenwood welcomed the students and introduced the NSA's John D. Williams, Jr., who once again made quick remarks, congratulating the students on the 6th National School SCRABBLE Championship. He then introduced Phil Jackson from Hasbro who thanked the partners that made it possible for Hasbro to provide such an outstanding event. He mentioned ESPN, Electronic Arts (Hasbro's "new digital partner"), Merriam Webster, Franklin Electronics, and a special thanks to the NSA. He said, "John and Jane Williams and the NSA are the heart and soul of SCRABBLE, the keepers of the flame who've had the vision for events like this" over the years. The players clapped for every sponsor and contributor. Ben then took to the podium again and went over final round procedures, such as how the Protiles and timers would be picked up at every table to be used again at future NSSCs. His final remark was that "the team that does not win" gets to keep the SCRABBLE game at the table in which they were playing. This was meet with cheers from the students and some whispered comments about whether it was a good thing or not to end up with only a partially used board.

All morning long, the space immediately adjacent to the playing room was being set up as the Theater Room, from which the finals game would be viewed. ESPN had been laying down hundreds of yards of cabling for lighting and cameras from the control room to the theater room to the finals room and back. As they did in years past, ESPN selected a game from the final round to be used as a test run game. This year it was the two teams from table 2, Princeton Day School (NJ) vs. Atlanta Tucker Community Center (GA). This particular matchup was a repeat of a semi-final game last year, so a back story of a long rivalry could be established.

The parents of these students were permitted to watch the game in the theater room while the rest of us stayed in the main room for that round.

The winner of the game at table 2, being broadcast in the theater room and the winner of the game at table 1 this round will play in the finals following this round. These four teams, the aforementioned Princeton Day School (NJ) and Atlanta Tucker Community Center (GA) are the only undefeated teams left in the Championship.

At table 1, Westport SCRABBLE Club (CT), one half of last year's NSSC champion team, squared off against Winterhaven Elementary School (OR). The Winterhaven team opened strongly with SINnERS for 64, but after a few more plays, Westport got down GOVeRNED through the second E for 66. A quick glance at Westport's scoresheet about halfway through had them in the lead, 334-193. Since each side had played a bingo, I wondered what had led to such a score difference. It boiled down to the strength, at that point, of high-scoring, smaller plays made turn after turn by Westport. Plays like JOLT for 27, CAPO for 26, FOX for 44, HOYA for 34, ZIT for 48, and ZA for 33. As I was walking away, continuing in that vein, Westport played the lovely NEAR, creating NONE/EYEN/AA in overlap plays for 24 points. It isn't just the points, but the board vision it takes to see that kind of play. Impressive stuff. School SCRABBLE teams tend to play faster overall than those in individual NSA-sanctioned tournaments and these two teams were no exception. Winterhaven played upside down (leaving the board oriented toward Westport) several times in that game. It was a 476-286 win for Westport, guaranteeing them, again, a berth into the finals round.

At table 3, first time tournament attendees, Pennichuck School (NH) were duking it out with R.D. and Euzelle Smith Middle School Team 1 (NC). As they fill out endgame paperwork, I see Pennichuck's REwINDS for 67, partly what led to their victory, 391-241. Their opponents, no slouches, placed 6th at last year's NSSC.

Four boys are laughing and jumping up at table 4. Emerson Middle School Team 1 (CA) vs. Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (MA) have played one of those stair-steppy games and they've had four challenges in a row, which have taken words off he board because it is so closed, they can barely play.

At table 3, Lexington MA SCRABBLE Club No. 108 (MA) defeated Hopkinton Middle School Team 1 (MA), 389-325. All four of these players have played in sanctioned NSA tournaments, so are seasoned in the game from the perspective of playing solo or playing as a team. To toot his horn a bit, Aaron Green from Hopkington, two weeks ago received the Robert Felt Memorial Star Student prize for having the best record of an 18 and younger player in a tournament of more than 200 players (Boston Area Tournament). These student players are terrific SCRABBLE players all the way around!

Texas State Champions - Trinity Bend Christian School (TX) vs. Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County (NY), at table 5. A 389-288 win for the students from the Lone Star State.

Joe Edley was fond of a play at table 17 in a game between Ridgefield Library Team 2 (CT) and St. John Lutheran School Team 2 (IN). At first, the students all claimed to have made the play, which made it funny, because I really couldn't tell who was pulling my leg. A quick glance at the offical result slip showed a Ridgefield 2 win, 388-286. Turns out it was Ridgefield's play: QUANDARY played to the Y on the triple lane for 116 points (with a 102-point spread difference, this play was certainly game winning!). The St. John team had a great JOE/JUT play for 40 points.

The coach from Our Lady of Victory brought five teams to this year's NSSC. She has a huge SCRABBLE program and always brings many players. This year, her "purple" team, Our Lady of Victory (MD) Team 4 (MD), found joy in just being here. After losing all three games yesterday, one of the players exclaimed, "We are 99th! What a great number." This meant, they were in 99th place out of 104 places. Today, after winning a round 4 game, the student said she hoped they still stayed 99th as she just loved that number. I am sorry to say that this team lost their coveted 99th spot and finished the tournament in 97th place! I think she should shoot for 66th or even 11th place next year!

A student from Lexington Montessori School Team 1 (MA) finds me at the front of the room and tells me of her team's round 6 game vs. St. John Lutheran School Team 1 (IN), which the Lexington team won, 340-319. The winners played sAnDIER/AR for 67, but the play she was most proud of was SLAGGIER/KA, played through the first G for 67. The play drew a challenge, too! What a way to end the event!

Annette Bailey, one of our committee members, thinks Bear Branch Elementary School (TX) has a numberically significant contestant scorecard. It is their scores that interest her. In round 1 against Eastern Greene Middle School Team 2 (IN) and in round 2 against R.D. and Euzelle Smith Middle School Team 2 (NC), they scored 290. Same score, two games in a row. As if that isn't enough, In round 3 against Thayer Public Library (MA) and in round 4 against Park View Middle School Team 1 (RI), they scored 292. Same score, again, two games in a row. And, these two scores for four games are only two points apart. I want to say something about how they play predictably!

A slip of paper is handed to me. It says, "Interesting play, QWERTYS for 116 by Our Lady of Victory (NY) Team 2 (NY), a team comprised of a 5th and 8th grader." Way to go!!

The board 2 game that took place in the finals room got off to a late start, but the results are in. Our second finalist is Atlanta Tucker Community Center (GA). Please check out the game, as it was annotated, at the Games link of the live coverage. The annotators thought this was a well-fought battle. The power tiles spent most of the game on the Princeton side of the board, but they often came all at once: A three-S rack, play off an S, draw another one, so another three-S rack. Power tiles with no synergy is worse than no power tiles and balanced racks.

Our finalists this year are the same two teams from last year! Westport SCRABBLE Club (CT) vs. Atlanta Tucker Community Center (GA). The only difference is that Westport replaced Aune Mitchell (who aged out of the program) with Logan Rosen. We all can't wait to see this game!