Poplar Bluff scholar team wins fifth at state

The Poplar Bluff Academic Team has returned home from competing in the MSHSAA State Class 4 Scholar Bowl Tournament with a fifth place finish.

“We thoroughly plan to win our way back to state next year and have already begun working toward it,” Scholar Bowl Coach Gail Karlish said.

The teams road to state began in early April by winning District 1 of Class 4 against Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Farmington, North County and DeSoto.

“Our district is a very difficult one to win with all (the schools) battling it out every year,” Karlish said. “Winning districts is always our biggest goal!”

Poplar Bluff then hosted a tough sectionals against Oakville in two straight games. By overcoming Oakville, Poplar Bluff was headed to state with a 7-0 post-season record.

The Poplar Bluff Academic Team then traveled to Columbia to the University of Missouri to compete as one of the top eight teams across the state.

“At state, we won our first game against Kansas City North,” Karlish said. “We lost pretty big to Central of St. Joseph who placed second losing only to Ladue, who placed first.”

Poplar Bluff was just edged out of the third match against Ft. Zumwalt, who placed fourth. With points and their win-loss record, Poplar Bluff took fifth place overall.

“We can run ‘with the big dogs’ at state,” Karlish added.

With state on a higher competition level, the team was held to scoring in the 300-400s, while scoring in the 500-600s at sectionals and districts.

“Our PB Academic team kids are complimented everywhere we go about their skillful play coupled with humility and big hearts,” Karlish said.

With the state competition barely behind them, the team will continue to practice, only taking a break during the MSHSAA regulated “dead week” in the summer.

“Our season runs all year,” Karlish said. “Yes, scholar bowl actually has a dead week.”

The team even began calculating how well they can do next year while leaving the state tournament.

“I’ve never had a more dedicated group,” she added.

The members of the Academic Team truly love spending time with one another and love fun competitions, she said.

Karlish took the team over in 1992 with only a varsity team at the time and started a junior varsity team several years later.

Under her direction, there has never been a varsity team with a loosing record, under 500, for the season. Karlish has an overall unofficial coaching record of about 73% wins versus losses in individual games.

“I absolutely delight in getting to work with our Academic Team,” Karlish said. “It gives me a chance to work closely for several years with students who are just a delight to work with and it gives me an excuse for continuing to learn about just about everything!”