#SCQ2019: 'Monk Street, it’s coming home'… St Jago wins Schools’ Challenge Quiz

Damion Mitchell, Integration Editor

St Jago High School has beaten Kingston College to be crowned the 2019 Television Jamaica Schools’ Challenge Quiz champion.

"Monk Street, it’s coming home,” said St Jago team captain Chanarie Lindsay, referring to the address of his school.

KC had won the toss and asked St Jago to go first in what was a keen battle at the outset with the four-member teams vying for top honours for the 50th renewal of the Caribbean’s longest running television programme.

This season, 63 schools entered the competition “and what a season it was!” Lindsay exclaimed.

He thanked his rivals for making this a “fitting” culmination of the 50th season of Schools' Challenge Quiz.

St Jago High principal Collette Feurtado-Pryce, was also confident of the victory, telling the pre-match hosts that the win would happen when KC was at its best having just won the 2019 Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships and the 2018 Manning Cup football title.  

In 1975, KC had won all three competitions.

But after three sections Tuesday night, Kingston College could only manage to amass 19 points to St Jago's 39.

It's the same number of points St Jago scored last year when it lost the finals to Campion College who scored 47 points.

Amid the tension inside the studio tonight, supporters watching on large screens in the Television Jamaica courtyard cheered for their teams during the breaks of the televised competition.

En route to the final, St Jago had beaten favourites Knox College and defending champion Campion College.

Only 14 schools have won School’s Challenge Quiz since it was established

#SCQ2019: St Jago High fans go wild as the Spanish Town-based school defeated North Street rivals Kingston College in tonight's grand finale of @televisionjam School Challenge Quiz. #SCQ50 pic.twitter.com/tVGZV5aPJw

— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) April 3, 2019

SECTION SCORES:

First section
St Jago High School – 7
Kingston College – 8

Section (Speed challenge)
St Jago High School – 29
Kingston College – 25

Third section (Buzzer challenge) 
St Jago High School –  39
Kingston College – 19

Previously, St Jago had been to the final 11 times and won four.

St Jago’s  championship reign
1988 
1989
2008 
2010

Meanwhile, Kingston College had been to the final 20 times before and won 11.

KC’s championship reign
1985
1977
1975
1974
1992
1994
1996
2007
2009
2011
2014

The teams met in the finals in 1994 when KC took the title and in 2010 when St Jago won.

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