2012 Detroit Catholic Central

Season

The Catholic Central Varsity Academic Team finished of the 2011-2012 season by advancing all the way to the NAQT National Finals. Catholic Central’s A team competed against 240 of the best teams across the country in the tournament which was held in Atlanta, GA over the Memorial Day weekend. CC made a dramatic last minute comeback to hand National Champion Bellarmine Prep from San Jose, CA its only loss of the tournament and forcing a second winner take all match. Senior Bobby Dorigo Jones was also selected as National Player of the Year.

In April the Academic Team attended its first National History Bowl Tournament in Washington, D.C. The team finished third in a field of 198 teams from across the nation. Catholic Central also send two team members to the individual semifinal bee: junior Collin Parks and senior Bobby Dorigo Jones. Catholic Central was the only school to have two different individual semifinalists from the same school.

For the second year in a row, Catholic Central Academic Teams finished first and second at the NAQT State Championship Tournament. At the KMO Michigan State Academic Tournament, Catholic Central defeated Holland High School by a score of 705-385 to win the Class A State Champioship. Senior Bobby Dorigo Jones and junior Brandon Roach were also named to the All-State Academic Team. Individual honors were also received by the following team members: Seniors Bobby Dorigo Jones and Jimmy Haubert; Juniors Brandon Roach, Matt Barnauskas, Evan Creel-Gould, Paul Hamilton, Mark Karabajakian, and Collin Parks; sophomores Matt Wolfe, Gerrit Hartwig, and Dan Jennings; and freshmen Jack Watts and Cole Zaremski.

The Varsity A Team finished its season with an overall record of 180-28. The A team competed in tournaments in 15 different states over the course of the season traveling as far west as Houston, Texas and as far east as Cambridge, MA. The A team brought home ten tournament titles and the freshmen and junior varsity teams earned ten more, for a combined total of 20 tournament victories for Catholic Central Academic Teams.

The Freshmen team coached by third year coach Christopher Gismondi won five tournament championships at the novice division. The Junior Varsity Team coached by fourth year coach Ben Herman won five tournament championships in three different states on the junior varsity level. Considering the successes had by the Freshmen and Junior Varsity Teams this year, the Academic Team seems well-positioned to continue its success for several years in the future.