New Haven High School holds an annual dodgeball tournament every year for the students. The tournament was supposed to be held during Homecoming week, but it was changed because of the snow days. It was later rescheduled to the following week, on Wednesday, February 6th.
The dodgeball tournament landed on a half day this year. The tournament was held first thing in the morning, and the classes followed. It costed $2 a person or $10 for a whole team. The money raised will go towards the Special Olympics of Missouri (SOMO). Students were required to have five players on each dodgeball team-- three girls and two boys or vice versa.
There were twenty teams in the dodgeball tournament this year. The names of the teams were Black Mamba, Star Spangled Studs, Whatevers, Untouchaballs, Good Giggles, Tune Squad, Blazing Bluebirds, Fighting Irish, Southern Pride, Wakanda, Dodgeball’n through the Decades, Leprechauns, Super Nerds, Purple Cobra, Battlestar Galactica, Gumballs, T.B.A, Dream Team, Oompa Loompa Rejects, and Farmers Only. The Wakanda team pushed through, winning 1st place in the tournament!
The winning team, Wakanda, included Maria Sheible, Hannah Borcherding, Matthew Otten, Jacob Engelbrecht, and John Liggett. The Black Mamba team was close to victory, but the Wakanda team got the last hit. Many of the teams tried their best, but in the end everyone had fun.
Lauren Hoerstkamp, team player of the Whatevers, said, “My favorite part was when Luke Gerlemann’s team lost and everyone chanted ‘cheaters never win, cheaters never win.’ If I could change anything about the tournament, it would [be] to start with the winners bracket, but it turned out pretty [well]-- and also [I wish] that the music was louder.”
“My favorite part of the tournament was when everyone was booing! If I could change anything about the tournament, I would make it last longer,” stated senior Seth Tolar.
Senior Claire Laune said, “My favorite moment of the tournament no doubt was Mr. Pruessner falling!”
As you can see, New Haven High students always enjoy the SOMO dodgeball tournament. Everyone in the tournament tries the best they can, and had a blast while doing it. It is a fun tradition New Haven High holds; the student body and teachers look forward to it every year!