For the second time in two days, WWL-TV Digital Producer Ittai Sopher started slowly and then hit his stride to take a win on the Jeopardy! stage.
Sopher, who won his first match that was televised on Wednesday, was back as the defending champion Thursday, facing off against a scientist and an engineer.
Sopher, who mans the digital desk for WWL-TV five days a week, fell behind early and was in third place as they moved to the second round, but he hit his stride and quickly blew past the competition into the lead.
He suffered a miss on the Daily Double and rallied to within $300 of the leader heading into Final Jeopardy.
The question was about the first U.S. Battleship to launch and Sopher, and the contestant in third place correctly answered the U.S.S. Maine. Meanwhile, the leader guessed incorrectly and Sopher was a winner for a second time.
The WWL-TV newsroom was anxiously watching the results and were ecstatic for their colleague.
Sopher has had a long-time dream to be a contestant on Jeopardy! and was selected several months ago. He went out to Los Angeles to film an undisclosed amount of episodes. Sworn to secrecy, Sopher has had a poker face around the station leading up to his shows.
"It's good TV," is all he would say when he was asked if we should watch.
Answer: He's now the two-time Jeopardy! champ who has hauled in a little over $26,000 in two days. Question: Who is Ittai Sopher of WWL-TV.
On Friday the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office congratulated on Twitter Sopher saying, "Congratulations to @WWLTV producer @IttaiSopher for representing our great state as the reigning champion on @Jeopardy! Keep up the great work, the entire state is rooting for you!"