Final Four Finish at States!

Team celebrates the Top Four Finish at Chik-fil-A

by Coach Stephen Smith

With the arrival of springtime, the renowned White Cloud Varsity Quiz Bowl Team once again journeyed to the campus of Michigan State University to compete in the 2025 Class C/D Michigan High School State Championship. The prestigious event brought together 20 elite squads from across both peninsulas of the Great Lakes State. Rising to the occasion, the Indians battled fiercely, securing a 4th-place finish and earning an impressive fifth national tournament qualification on the season.

Experiencing an awakening at a critical junction of the preliminary rounds, White Cloud decisively dispatched Carsonville-Port Sanilac (260-50). In the ensuing contest, the vaunted vanguard vanquished an impressive adversary in North Muskegon (270-125). Next, the sensational squad toppled Hackett Catholic Prep (290-120), completing a remarkable resurgence after early-round stumbles against White Pigeon (165-210) and Jonesville (125-245). By snapping off a string of three consecutive victories to close the morning bracket, the Cloud warriors ensured a berth in the championship playoffs.

Carrying their momentum into the afternoon, the fearsome five commenced their assault on Sandusky, prevailing with their highest game point total (300-175). Battling in a thriller with Saugatuck, the courageous contingent fell short in a heartbreaker (170-175). Pressed once more by adversity, the tenacious team was outlasted by Gwinn (130-345), an unstoppable force from the Upper Peninsula and the eventual Class C-D champion. Remaining steadfast and undaunted, the mighty masterminds refused to capitulate against Deckerville, securing a hard-earned victory (225-140). In the finale, the quintet succumbed in a cerebral slugfest to Hillsdale Academy (170-345), the tournament’s runner-up. Nevertheless, White Cloud racked up 2,105 total points and averaged an impressive 210.5 points per game on the day—a mark of resilience, firepower, and the continuation of a program unafraid to battle the best.

When the final standings were tallied, White Cloud emerged as one of the tournament’s top performers. The complete rankings were as follows: Gwinn (1st), Hillsdale Academy (2nd), White Pigeon (3rd), White Cloud (4th), Saugatuck (5th), Sandusky (6th), Deckerville (7th), North Muskegon (8th), Jonesville (9th), Kalamazoo Christian (10th), Perry (11th), Brimley (12th), Roscommon (13th), Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (14th), Carsonville Port -Sanilac (15th), Springport (16th), New Buffalo (17th), Kent City (18th), Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic (19th), and Bridgman (20th).

Focusing on individual feats, White Cloud’s intelligentsia was led by senior Jarrett Warlick, who overpowered his adversaries with an astronomical 625 total points, averaging 62.5 points per game. For his sensational efforts, he was awarded Second-Team All-State honors as the 6th-best player out of 113 competitors. Backing up their prolific scorer, All-Conference player Liam Povey racked up 125 points, finishing as the 27th overall scorer. All-Conference senior captain Wyatt Karnes added 80 points to his team’s total. Finally, All-Conference freshmen Mason D’Lamater and Brian Loveless contributed 25 and 10 points, respectively, and effectively demonstrated a well-balanced, complete team effort.

With this remarkable finish in the state tournament, White Cloud has qualified for national tournaments for the 28th time in school history. In addition, this is the 36th occasion that White Cloud has qualified for the state competition, an all-time Class C/D record, solidifying the legacy and tradition of the quiz bowl program. Additionally, this performance marks the fifth straight year that the program has finished in the top four in the state tournament.

Coach Stephen Smith and the team extend their sincerest thanks to Coach Emeritus Tony McHattie, along with assistant coaches Arnie Baker, Kiranna Reynolds, Cameron Karnes, and Dallas Dowling for their dedication and support. The team also wishes to express deep gratitude to the parents, teachers, administrators, donors, and community members whose unwavering encouragement continues to fuel the program’s success. A special thank-you goes out to the many parents who showed up in force at the tournament to cheer on the team—your presence and energy meant the world to the team. Without all of you, none of these achievements would be possible.
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The NAQT Small School National Championship Tournament will be held in Chicago on April 25-27, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates!

Brian Loveless, Mason D’Lamater, Captain Wyatt Karnes, Liam Povey, Jarrett Warlick, Coach Stephen Smith, Samuel Viher, and Coach Emeritus Tony McHattie