Edison wins record 14th title

MILAN TWP — They waited a week, but they'll forever be known as champions. On Feb. 18, Edison High School's Firelands Challenge team, along with Norwalk and Port Clinton, competed in the final championship match of this season's regional academic competition. And after enduring three championship matches followed by answering multiple tiebreaking questions, a stressful process by itself, Edison students needed to withstand an appeals process before officially being declared winners. Then on Wednesday, North Point Educational Service Center, which oversees this contest, confirmed Edison's win, ensuring the Chargers' 14th straight title, a record in this contest. "This was an incredible season," Firelands Challenge coordinator William Muthig said. "It showed increased efforts on the part of all of the teams. Those efforts resulted in close matches and several ties, including the championship series." Edison's team adviser, Amy Facemire, congratulated all teams and students involved in this year's competition, specifically highlighting Norwalk as they "fought hard and never gave up" through the championship. "We knew that this was going to be a tight competition and that definitely turned out to be true," Facemire said. "We are happy to bring home our 14th straight championship, and this is truly due to the dedication of the team members and not giving up when matches didn't go the way we wanted them to." Norwalk's team adviser, Angela Farmer, previously commented on her team's effort in this year's season. "The Norwalk team did great throughout the season," Farmer said. "They had some of the highest scoring matches and were very consistent. I am proud of them and the time and effort they have put into preparing for the season." Close call This 14th straight win did not come without strong efforts from each team competing. The three teams came together for the final of the three championship matches hosted by Norwalk last week. By the final score count, Edison and Norwalk finished the series in a 136-point tie. Both teams were sent to a tiebreaker, and Edison came up on top. But both teams also filed for appeals, meaning the schools walked away from the competition tables still not knowing who the champion was. The tie break acted as a contingency. If the appeals did not result in a clear winner, Edison's tie-break win would. The appeal results: • Norwalk's appeal earned the team four additional points • One of Edison's appeals earned the team three points while taking away two of Norwalk's points. • Another appeal from Edison earned the team four additional points while taking one point away from Norwalk. Facemire recognized the behind-the-scenes efforts her team took to bring a win to the district. "All of the extra time they spend studying and then writing appeals like the two that won us this championship is what most people don't see," Facemire said. "Waiting on these appeals made for a nerve-racking few days, but I can now breathe a sigh of relief that the results are official and that we were again able to bring the plaque back to Edison." After accounting for the appeals, Edison finished the third championship match with 42 points, and Norwalk scored 49 points. Norwalk was still determined to be the match champion, but Edison scored enough cumulative points to win the season. The final standings: • Edison 143 • Norwalk 137 • Port Clinton 113 Edison's 2025-26 team • Seniors: Mary Moon, Ilah Reynolds, Lily Risner, Navea Yamanouchi • Sophomore: Caitlin Mullins, Lani Tessaro • Freshmen: Franklin Clark, Lily LaSalle, Ben Rosekelly, Nicholas Samsa • Advisers: Amy Facemire and Mary Traut Firelands Challenge is an academic competition for local high schools organized by North Point Educational Service Center. The students compete to answer questions from numerous academic subjects.