Every year since 2018, PHS students have competed in It’s Academic, the longest-running TV quiz program in the world. This year, the PHS team won their qualifying round and is advancing to the show’s playoffs—now amidst new budget cuts and shortened competition.

The PHS Team, composed of seniors Alex Wang, Ahilan Kurlekar, and Nicholas Cabrera, is coached by social studies teacher Ms. Marcia Snavely. PHS has participated in It’s Academic since 2007, however 2018 was the first year that they received a spot on the show, and they have been competing ever since. 

Team member Nicholas Cabrera expressed his love for competing on It’s Academic.

“I love the satisfaction of buzzing in and testing what I know under pressure,” said Cabrera. “The friendly competition pushes me to stay sharp and keeps things exciting.”

The PHS team’s victory in the qualifying round of the show aired on Nov. 15, 2025 on WETA PBS, and is watchable on YouTube. The PHS team competed against Holton-Arms and DeMatha Catholic, both private high schools in the DMV, and emerged victorious with a score of 645—265 points over DeMatha, and 145 points over Holton-Arms. 

Team captain Alex Wang noted that the PHS team’s strength comes from their involvement in various other high school quiz competitions. 

“We spend most of our time reviewing for NAQT quizbowl,” said Wang. “There is a vague sense of history, science, [and] literature split among the team, but it’s very very fluid, and in reality we just buzz what we know.”

It’s Academic has been airing since 1961. It’s recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest-running TV quiz show and has received eight Emmy Awards. The show is typically set up in a four-round system, featuring 81 high schools from the DMV. It contains 27 qualifying rounds, nine play-offs, three semifinals, and one championship, with three schools participating in each round and the winning team advancing.

Due to funding losses this year, semi-finals have been cut from the competition and play-offs were limited from nine to three games. 

Schools entering the play-off rounds were chosen from the nine highest winning-scores of the qualifying rounds, which included the PHS team. 

While the PHS team has advanced to playoffs in the past, they have never made it to the show’s semi-finals. This marks the first time in history that PHS is advancing to It’s Academic’s penultimate round of competition. 

Wang expressed hope for Poolesville’s performance at the play-off round.

“It’s too early to tell,” said Wang. “But based on vibes I think we will do good.”

However, the show’s budget cuts have also raised concerns over the future of educational game shows.

“I’m sad since It’s Academic has really been the common factor for smaller quiz bowl teams who don’t really have that much support,” said Cabrera. “We shouldn’t be cutting programs that encourage students to pursue learning on their own terms and celebrate academic achievement.”

The PHS It’s Academic team is formed from a larger club that also participates in competitions such as the Montgomery Academic Beltway League. They prepare for It’s Academic in school by reviewing quiz packets from various game shows and meeting every Wednesday during lunch. Outside of school, each member explores their individual interests on their own time. Deciding which three club members will participate on the show is dependent on factors such as seniority, commitment, and trivia strength.

It’s Academic coach Ms. Marcia Snavely shared her love for curious students and trivia as a whole.

“I like students who are curious about learning and who push themselves to learn as much as possible,” said Snavely. “I also enjoy trivia myself as I ask daily Jeopardy questions in all of my classes, and I faithfully watch the Jeopardy television show at night.”

The PHS team is set to compete in the It’s Academic play-offs on Jan. 11, 2026 against Washington-Liberty High School and St Paul VI Catholic High School. The show is taped at the WETA production studios in Arlington, Virginia and will air around March.

“[I feel] cautiously optimistic,” said Cabrera. “We’ve proven we can compete at this level and our team keeps getting better with each match. If we keep preparing the way we have been and stay locked in, I think we’ve got a real shot.”