Believed to have started over 200 years ago in Africa, the game of dodgeball involved players throwing rocks at each other aiming to injure or kill. Now, dodgeball has been the staple sport of schools across the country for decades, pitting children against each other, armed to the brim with foam balls and a desire to win. With the start of Mendocino High School’s spring semester, intramural dodgeball was brought back for a second time, the newfound tradition found its ground as players, freshman to seniors, signed up to dominate opponents in our mediocre version of brutal warfare.
Nine teams were randomly formed, consisting of five players each. Last year’s reigning champions, Team Ken, headed by strong-armed Shane Crockett and Trey Fuso, remained together in order to defend their title. Though as of the first round of the semi-finals, their team went down in a unexpected upset to Noah Gold’s underdog team, What are the Chances. The underdogs went head to head with the winners from the other side of the bracket, the Fighting Mongooses. Presented in front of the school Friday May 3rd, What are the Chance’s and the Fighting Mongooses had one last chance to claim the victory and honor of complete domination in a final showdown.
The two teams were evenly matched and provided an anticipating and exciting game as there was no clear predicted winner. Both teams were headed by dedicated and competitive teachers: Noah Gold and Tyler Grindberg. They both have a solid arm, and while Noah is perhaps the better catcher, Tyler has an infectious moral that seemed to truly benefit his team during their battle. Each team had a strong arm with high kill potential, What the the Chances with Chance Watkins himself, and the Fighting Mongooses with Judah Pittman. Going into the game, each team knew it would be vital to get out the others strong arm out as quickly as possible if they wanted a shot at the title. The remaining players on either team fell on the middle ground of the spectrum with limited talent, and it was a question of performance that determined the outcome of the game.
Matched up head to head, the Fighting Mongooses pulled off their best performance to beat out the other team in a glorious display of power as they claimed victory. In a game best of five, every hit counts, every dodge or catch can make the difference between champions and failures. It was a spectacle and heated display of domination that surely captured all onlookers.
A disappointed team leader, Noah Gold, commented on the game, “We were the 7th seed, the underdogs. We were counted out; no one though we had a chance against the 2nd seed or the 1st seed defending champs, but we beat them both. Going into the championship were ready, we were confident, having not lost a single playoff game. The problem I think was we had very similar strategies and we didn’t adjust quick enough, or at all really. Either way it was a good game, and I have a deep respect for our opponents.”
It is true it did seem to be the Fighting Mongooses strategy that led to their success. With quicker players, they were able to make it to the line before the other team at the start of every game. With four balls and three players, they were able to get out the opponents strong arm, Chance Watkins, in the first few seconds of the game just about every time. From there it was easy pickings and a clean sweep that lead to their victory.