The Moorpark fort is built with lists of facts, dates and names of generals, medals and confederate flags.

The Oxnard fort is made entirely of dozens of reams of Xerox paper, forming an impressive archway in a bunker that also contains food rations like water and Fig Newtons.

The rooms pay homage to the next Academic Decathlon theme — the Civil War.

After several months in their own study trenches, more than 200 Ventura County high school students will test their knowledge of all things Union and Confederate at the county Academic Decathlon scrimmage today.

"The scrimmage is a kind of tool for the coaches and kids to see where they're at," said John Tarkany, the coordinator for the countywide competition.

The 28 Academic Decathlon teams from 11 schools will then be evaluated by their coaches to make up teams of red, white and blue to compete in 10 academic events.

Each team will consist of three A, three B and three C students who will take seven multiple-choice tests in subjects like art, literature, science and math. They also will give speeches, write essays and participate in interviews. In the Super Quiz Relay, students will answer questions while teammates, friends and relatives cheer them on.

The red team typically is the highest-scoring team that has the chance to go to the state competition.

Oxnard and Moorpark high schools both made it to the last state competition, in March. It was Oxnard's first time, and the team placed 12th out of 55. Oxnard hopes to score high enough in next year's competition to earn a wild-card spot in the state event.

Moorpark placed third in the March state finals, behind Granada Hills Charter High School, and El Camino Real High School of Woodland Hills, which won the state and then national titles.

With three returning A-team members, Moorpark is gunning for a national title in the 2008 competition.

"They are studying so efficiently," said Larry Jones, the Moorpark coach. "They are teaching each other and pushing each other to do better."

Asked if the team wanted to go to Moorpark's annual Civil War re-enactment this past weekend, he said the students told him if it wasn't going to be on the test, they didn't want to go. They prefer to streamline their studying, which consists of up to eight hours a day of work. "They are outcome driven," Tarkany said. "They know what the subject matter is going to be on the test, and they focus on that."

With Jones as coach, the Moorpark team has gone to the state finals 10 times since 1992 and won two national championships, in 1999 and 2003. In 2002, the team placed second nationally.

Moorpark and Oxnard have a history of working together and informally competing with each other, outside of the scrimmage. Oxnard this year finished second in the county competition behind Moorpark. The goal for next year, said Coach Chris Conte, will be first or second.

"I'd like to come close to Moorpark at county, maybe take an event or two," Conte said. "Not to say we wouldn't like to beat Moorpark. But we were happy with where we landed."

Conte has switched coaching hats with Robert Borneman, who took the team to the state finals this year. Recently, students were sitting in Conte's classroom, studying.

Senior Susan Hakes is Oxnard's one returning decathlete who went to the state finals this year. Now, her twin sister, Sarah, is on the team.

"I definitely would like to see the team go to state again," Hakes said. "I want us to try and break the top 10 teams."

After today's scrimmage in Camarillo, which is closed to the public, the county competition will take place over two days next year. The interview and essay portion will be held Jan. 12. The portion of the competition open to the public, the Super Quiz Relay, is set for Feb. 2.