West Valley High School won the 2009 High School Bowl championship, defeating Chautauqua Lake 73- 60 in the concluding match. The contest, held at JCC, broadcast over Media One radio stations WJTN and SE-93.

West Valley is only in its third year of competition in High School Bowl, and finished the season with a record of six wins and one loss. Chautauqua Lake finished with a record of four wins and two losses.

The JCC Alumni Association will award a $1000 scholarship for each of two years to a senior at West Valley. Delta Kappa Gamma, the International Honor Society of Women Educators, will present $250 to help the team travel to the National Academic Championship in Arlington, Va. in June. In addition, each participating member of the championship team will receive a student computer desk from the Bush Furniture Factory Outlet in Jamestown.

As the second place school, Chautauqua Lake will receive a $500 scholarship from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The players on West Valley’s championship team were Jim Baker (captain), Emma Spalti, Austin Enser, Nick Kowalski, Rachel Darcy, RJ Neamon, and Josh Stanbro. The team is coached by Ryan Keem.

The Chautauqua Lake team included Joe Dechario (captain), Melissa Hoitink, Alicia Yates, Tom Sullivan, and Victoria Silliman. Chautauqua Lake’s coaches are Mary Jantzi and Kim Sweet.

The High School Bowl tournament and radio broadcasts are made possible through the sponsorship of the JCC Alumni Association, Honest Johns Restaurant and Pizzeria, SKF Aeroengine North America, the Weinberg Financial Group, Cattaraugus County Bank, Lakewood Furniture Galleries, Pepsi Cola, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Now in its 48th year, High School Bowl is the longest running academic competition of its type in the United States, and this year featured teams from 20 schools in southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. J. Dennis Engstrom of Youngsville, Pa. serves as moderator of the program.