There was no room for uncertainty, hesitation, or second-guessing on Thursday at the super-charged final round of the Manhattan Beach MIddle School's 12th Annual Scholar Quiz, as the top two teams battled for the 2016 championship title. The fast-paced quiz, which marks the culmination of more than a week's worth of competitions, is a popular annual tradition that draws broad student participation from across the school.

Thursday's final match came down to a dramatic finish with a victory by the "blue" team of Nate St. Germain, Dain Johnson, Matt Janson, and Mitchell Watson. The "red" team of Lucas Chen, Kevin Hefner, Calvin Keller, and Michaela Webb came in second after putting up a valiant fight.

This year 676 students participated in 169 teams of four students each. Nearly half of the student body at MBMS was part of a team.

Scores of parent and community volunteers have been working throughout the past two weeks to keep the competition running smoothly, with a battery of scorekeepers, flag judges, and readers needed for every round.

Competitors answered questions in the areas of math, science, literature, grammar, social studies, geography, music, sports, popular culture, and MBMS lore. In the final match, one "lightning round" of questions asked for famous "Jacksons," an homage to MBMS Principal John Jackson.

Thursday's event drew a large crowd of students, alumni, parents, and community members. Local leaders in attendance included MBUSD Superintendent Mike Matthews, MBEF Executive Director Farnaz Flechner, and Study Hut founder Rob Stone.

Following the final match, the members of the final 32 teams posed for a picture on the steps of the MBMS amphitheater, wearing Scholar Quiz 2016 t-shirts that were donated by Study Hut.