Members of the Edison High School team and host Jared Cotter are pictured during a break from taping “The Challenge.” EDISON — MSG Varsity’s high school quiz show “The Challenge” will kick off its 14th season with all-star student scholars from Edison High School competing against Paramus Catholic High School.
The first-round match-up will air in high definition Jan. 6 at 5:30 p.m. on Cablevision’s iO TV (Channel 14). MSG Varsity, Cablevision’s television network dedicated to everything high school, will feature new episodes of the show Sundays through Fridays at 5:30 p.m.
Jared Cotter, former FUSE TV host and a popular semifinalist from “American Idol,” will return for a second season as host. Cotter will serve as moderator, asking competing high school teams questions based on their knowledge of history, arts and literature, current events, math, and science. This season, students will be taped competing before a live studio audience.
“We’re thrilled to provide these students from Edison High School and Paramus Catholic High School the opportunity to showcase their talent with their community,” said Theresa Chillianis, general manager of MSG Varsity. “ ‘The Challenge’ features some of the brightest students from across the tristate area, and we hope everyone will tune in to see them compete for the Tri-State Championship.”
Representing Edison High School will be team captain Ammaarah Khan, Felicia Lesman, Nisha Modi, Samir Rohira and Connor Wallace. The academic adviser is Jennifer Teffenhart.
Schools advance in the tournament through a series of elimination rounds. After months of competition, one school in each region is crowned regional champion, winning $2,500 for their school. The final winning teams from each region go on to the championship, where they square off against one another in a Tri-State Showdown. The school crowned Tri-State Champion will receive $10,000 in prize money and each student participating in the final championship game will receive $500.