Annual dodgeball tournament amplifies Spartan spirit

During tutorial on Thursday, the Student Activities Committee held a dodgeball tournament for homecoming, alongside the decades-themed dress up day. Participating teams of all grade levels included the Untoucha-balls, Gronk, Dodgefathers, Kung Fu Kangaroos, Nicki Minaj’s Cousin’s Friends, Ball-erinas, Ballsagna, and Drillas.

Junior class SAC representative Lilith Greene-Friedman and co-vice president of SAC Hobbs Lillygreen emceed the event and kept school spirit alive between rounds. The rules were simple: no headshots or any hits intended to hurt, returning to the game after getting out or taking off masks. The grade that cheered the most would also get an extra point for demonstrating Spartan spirit.

The tournament began with the Untoucha-balls, wearing matching Hawaiian shirts, against Gronk, who decided against an organized uniform. After a brief team huddle and pep talk, the whistle was blown. The Untoucha-balls were victorious after an intense matchup. Next was the Dodgefathers, all wearing white shirts decorated with Sharpies, winning against the Kung Fu Kangaroos, all wearing Senior Spartan shirts that were distributed to the class of 2022 last year. Nicki Minaj’s Cousin’s Friends won against the Ball-erinas, both teams without uniforms. The Drillas, all wearing black sleeveless jerseys with yellow numbers, won against Ballsagna, wearing a white tank top with red shirts underneath.

During the matches, the rules were clarified to maintain fair play. Any last one or two players standing must stand near the front of the line in the center of the gym, and all players crossing the line would immediately be disqualified. The winning teams from the first round began to play against each other, with the Dodgefathers winning against the Untoucha-balls, who began the round with the offensive strategy of rushing to the line and rolling all the balls away from the other team to give themselves an advantage. Nicki Minaj’s Cousin’s Friends played against Drillas in the quarter-finals but were quickly penalized for having ten players on the floor instead of eight. After two members were removed, Junior Yash Kshirsagar led Nicki Minaj’s Counsin’s Friends to a victory after a heated face-off with ninth-grader Sawyer Bollinger-Danielson. Both the Dodgefathers and Nicki Minaj’s Cousin’s Friends will advance to the final round during tomorrow’s pep fest and will fight for the chance to compete against the teachers’ team.

Senior Nina Starchook played for the Kung Fu Kangaroos, a name she specified she did not choose. Starchook played with fellow seniors Mukeil Rizvi, Clarke and Brandt Baskerville, Isaiah Eby, Lily Ellis, Sarina Charpentier, and Mia Hofmann. The team’s initial strategy was to group back and let the other players reach the line first, then focus on the strongest players afterward. However, this plan soon backfired as they lost in the first round.

A first-time player in the annual homecoming event, Starchook was excited to try something new and participate in the competition with her friends. “I went because I’ve never done it before and I always liked watching it,” she said.

Tune in to RubicOnline on Friday for the final results of the tournament.