Lafayette County’s Scholar Bowl team will compete for a national title for the second year in the row, as the Huskers are venturing to Chicago this weekend for the Small School National Championship Tournament.

Head coach Christa Bell tells KMMO News that with four players making the trip again, the Huskers are ready to compete against several of the nation’s best smaller schools.

The roster of junior Nora Knipmeyer, sophomores Alex Dyer, Harper Hayes, and Marshall Ridinger, and freshman Zackery Hunter qualified for nationals by going 7-2 at the Roadrunner Scholastic Tournament at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, and finished second to Center for the MRVC title. Bell says they drew a tough schedule in conference play.

Last year the Huskers went 2-8 in Chicago, defeating teams from Iowa and Nebraska. Lafayette County will be one of 15 teams from Missouri competing this weekend at small school nationals. Each team will play ten games Saturday, and need six wins to advance to the double-elimination playoffs Sunday.