Savannah (Missouri High School)

Savannah Savages
Location: Savannah, MO
Coaches	Kaysie Hamilton
State Championships	1994, 1995 MAA Class 3 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017 MSHSAA Class 3 2011 NAQT
National Championships	1988 ASCN
National Appearances	numerous TOCs every HSNCT since 2007
Program Status	Active
School Size	780
NAQT Page	link

Savannah High School is a public school in Savannah, Missouri, just north of St. Joseph. Savannah is currently in MSHSAA Class 4, though it was in Class 3 for most of its history.

Savannah was historically one of the best teams in Missouri, winning two MAA and seven MSHSAA state titles as well as the 1988 TOC. From 2000-2012, the school placed in the top 3 in its class at MSHSAA state every year except in 2009 and 2010, when the school was (along with Mexico) the smallest in Class 4. Savannah earned its seventh Class 3 MSHSAA state championship in 2017.

Savannah usually attends the NAQT Missouri Qualifier, finishing in the top 5 and earning a bid to HSNCT as part of the top 15% each time as of 2017. They won the tournament title in 2011.

Savannah primarily attends Missouri Quizbowl Alliance certified events, traveling across the state several times every season, and has attended HSNCT every year since 2007 (except in 2021). The team went 6-4 in the preliminary rounds in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2014, but each time was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Former coach Bill Luce led the team to many of its strong finishes before his coaching retirement in 2007, and remains a significant influence on quizbowl in Missouri.

Tournament Hosting

Savannah usually hosts a Varsity and a Junior Varsity tournament each year. In the past, it used a four-quarter format with shorter questions usually provided by Show-Me Questions, an organization founded by Luce. During Luce's tenure as coach and the height of ASCN, the tournament frequently drew teams from several surrounding states. Today, the tournament typically only draws teams from the immediate area and a few teams from Kansas City.

NAQT Invitational

Main page: Savannah NAQT

In March 2011, in an attempt to introduce "good quizbowl" to the northwestern part of the state, Savannah hosted a second varsity tournament on IS-98, which was the first Savannah tournament to be MOQBA certified. Savannah intended to use a more field-appropriate A set, but none were available due to NAQT using most of the A-sets to construct the district and state sets [1]. As a result, reception was not particularly positive, and there was some uncertainty as to whether or not Savannah would host another NAQT tournament.

Ultimately, the 2012 Varsity tournament was run on IS-114A on March 10, taking the place of the traditional format. The tournament continues to be hosted in the 20 tossup/bonus format on NAQT questions, but has returned to using single-elimination playoffs.

Succession of minor titles

ASCN TOC Champion
Preceded by	Year	Succeeded by
Carolina	1988	Georgetown Day

MAA Class 3 State Champion
Preceded by	Year	Succeeded by
Liberty	1994, 1995	(tournament succeeded by four-class MSHSAA championship)

NAQT Missouri Champion
Preceded by	Year	Succeeded by
Helias	2011	Ladue