Academic decathlon team from Petaluma heads to state finals

<p>Members of the Casa Grande High School academic decathlon team are in non-stop study mode in preparation for this weekend’s state finals in Sacramento, where they will try to capture their eighth title.</p><p>Coach Rick Pillsbury said the 12-member team from Petaluma is cramming for the event in the faculty lounge, breaking to eat and sleep but little else.</p><p>“They’re pretty hard at it,” Pillsbury said.</p><p>The big-brained group will drive Friday to Sacramento and stay at the downtown Hyatt Regency hotel.</p><p>The competition involving 55 schools starts bright and early Saturday morning at the hotel with written tests.</p><p>It moves to Sacramento State University on Sunday for the speech portion and shifts to Memorial Auditorium on Sunday afternoon for the Super Quiz. The awards ceremony is Monday morning.</p><p>Casa Grande, a perennial powerhouse, came out on top in regional competition Feb. 2. The team has gone to state finals 23 times, winning last in 2006.</p><p>A team from Santa Rosa’s Maria Carrillo High also has been invited to the decathlon.</p>