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NSSC 2009 Commentary: Round 2

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

Round 2

Bear Branch Bingo #2 (TX) played Lake Oswego Jr. High (OR) at table 16 this round. I watch the Bear Branch team play QAID to the triple for 72 points. Later I see RETEARED* played.

Table 17 has every striped shirt worker in the room in a total tizzy. Holding AEEIU??, New West Charter (CA) made a gorgeous 63-point bingo. Note that this rack has FIVE vowels and two blanks, so it just looked like a wreck on their rack. I'm giving readers space before I type in their play. They also played VIEWERS/SH for 76. New West found and played AUdItEE! Isn't that just glorious!? New to this event, 7th graders Ruben and Tristan are coached by Tristan's dad, Bob Vanech. Based in the Los Angeles area, all three attend Bruce D'Ambrosio's club and all are avid players. I walk by later and see thier opponents, Sage School #1 (MA), confidently put down SPITERS*. The play was held and pretty quickly challenged off.

I walk by an Atlanta- Pinckneyville Middle School (GA) vs. Plymouth South Middle School #2 (MA) game and the clock is paused while the players figure out the score. It turns out that Joey & Allison are so efficient and they play so swiftly that their opponents just fell behind. I think plays like Atlanta's LiNGUAE for 63 are adding to the problem! I find out later that the team from Atlanta won this game, 379-251.

Table 6, Lexington Montessori School #1 (MA) vs. South Side Middle School (NY). The Lexington team opened with RATTIER for 66 which drew an unsuccessful challenge. Hard to start the game two plays down with one of them a bingo!

I see the word REMAiNS go down in a Buckingham Browne Middle School (MA) vs. Willets Road School (NY) game.

On a Bloomfield Public Library (IN) vs Glenfield/Collins Elementary Schools (NJ) board I see HAsSlERS.

Table 9: Our Lady of Victory School Floral Park #2 (NY) vs. Ridgefield Library #3 (CT). Each team has played a bingo. The OLV team played GLOATING for 74 and the Ridgefield team played RELOaNER for 60.

At table 11, Our Lady of Victory Baltimore #3 (MD) is playing Salem Elementary #1 (NC). I smile as I walk by and a member of the OLV team leans towards me and mouths silently, "They are destroying us." I look over the scoresheet and see the in-progress score as 416-233. Ouch.

At table 1, Our Lady of Victory Baltimore #1 (MD) is playing Town of DeWitt School SCRABBLE (NY). By the look on the faces of the OLV team, it appears that this game went to Dewitt.

South Side Middle School (NY) vs. Belzer Middle School (IN). I see on their board: sTATION, RATIONER, and SUNNIER.

It was a very close game, but Ridgefield Library #1 (CT) defeated Seawell Elementary School (NC) this round, 387-386. I see Seawell's ANTLERS and Ridgefield's UNTILtED and bELLIES.

The Princeton Day School (NJ) team has a 112-point win this game against Dalton School (NY). William explains that on their second rack they held SATINEG. Sam and William quickly rattled off some of their choices: EATINGS, EASTING, INGESTA, INGATES, TEASING and SEATING. They chose the latter for 75. They later got down LOUNGED for 75, and then drew the Q and the Z for some high-scoring nonbingo plays. Their opponents finally got the second blank and found tOILETS for 75.