Helix, Grossmont Put Rivalry Aside for Academic League Exhibition

Grossmont and Helix high schools are fierce foes in most contests, but Wednesday night some of their brightest students were friendly teammates.  Four students from the crosstown rivals were chosen to an All-Star team to take on an outside force—the Academic League champions from Santana High School.

Foothillers David Taylor and Matt Boulan, both seniors, and Highlanders Michael Phalen, a senior, and Nicole Eccles, a junior, took turns in an exhibition at the Academic League’s spaghetti-and-salad “appreciation dinner” at Grossmont’s Old Gym. The Sultans—who came from behind earlier in the day against West Hills to win the district title at the Grossmont High library—prevailed in the later three-round contest, however. They scored more points in the quiz-show format that included topics from the arts, literature, history, math and science.

An audience outfitted in school sweatshirts from throughout the East County district cheered students and laughed at jokes by school board member Dick Hoy, a moderator. To avoid cell-phone distractions, he told the crowd that phones not silenced would result in two punishments: Adults would be sent to a room where rap music was played. Under-18 offenders would be forced to listen to Frank Sinatra. Hoy then announced what the exhibition winners and their parents would get—an all-expenses-paid two-day vacation in July—to Gila Bend, AZ.

About 400 students, teachers and parents were expected at the Grossmont Union High School District event, which honored the Sultans—set to take on other schools in a county competition. The district’s Larry Pear says GUHSD hasn’t fared well in the annual contest in recent years—partly due to a format favoring different types of questions—but noted that Granite Hills of El Cajon was the first high school to win the county Academic League crown, back in 1984.