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(Left to right) Coach John Porter and the James River Assembly National Champion Bible Quiz team: Natalie Garrison, Devon Colegrove, Kacie Garrison, Christopher Knoth and assistant coach Danielle Brozovich.

Seeded fourth in the final-four playoff brackets, James River Assembly of Ozark, Missouri, first overcame a 150-point deficit to defeat Cedar Park Assembly "The A Team" of Bothell, Washington, in the semifinal round. Then they came back from 65 down in the national championship match, taking the lead for good when Devon Colegrove quizzed out on the 19th question, and defeated four-time and defending champion Owasso (Oklahoma) First Assembly 155-120 to win the church's first Teen Bible Quiz title at the National Teen Bible Quiz championship held in Chicago, June 29-July 4.

Bothell came back in the third-place game to defeat Bellvue (Washington) Neighborhood Church 125-100.

It is the second national title for James River coach John Porter, who holds the record for most National Finals appearances by a coach (24 tournaments). He won previously with Allison Park (Pennsylvania) Assembly in 1995. One of the members of that '95 team, Jason Martin, was the quizmaster for this year's championship match.

James River had to withstand one last chance by Owasso, which gained fame earlier this year for winning the finals of Season Two of "The American Bible Challenge" on cable television's GSN (Game Show Network) as "The Wagner Warriors."

In the semifinals, James River was up against Bothell and team captain Abby Rogers, who won her fourth individual scoring title in the main tournament - a new Teen Bible Quiz record. But the Ozark team took advantage of rebounds on missed questions by Bothell, and came charging back late in the game to win.

Porter said afterward, "It's the biggest comeback of any team I have ever coached at National Finals."

Wagner placed second in the individual standings behind Rogers, and Colegrove was fourth behind third-place Joseph Chacra of Pocono Community Church of Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania.

In the Challenger Division, Evangel Church of Kansas City, Missouri, took top honors with a 16-3 record in the main round-robin play. Luke Hamilton of Northfield Church in Gering, Nebraska, was the top individual scorer in the division.

To learn more about Teen Bible Quiz, see its website.