Dodgeball, just a school game for fun but not when there’s prizes on the line

The UHS debate on November 10, held a dodgeball tournament inviting all students to make a team for $10 and duke it out for Chick-fil-a gift cards

$400 made in total from the event to help fund for their merchandise, debate meets, and even to run the event and purchase the chick-fil-a gift cards.

“We need to hold fundraisers to keep our club running, so this was a small one to help fund for some small thing.” Junior Kamaria Young said.

This event featured many kinds of athletes, and non-athletes, students from Key Club, school store, football, baseball, basketball players, etc.

“A Very fun experience,” senior Michael Bahoura said, “and being my senior year and I want to attend any event I can.”

Regardless of each rounds outcome, it was an event fun for all.

“Very fun,” Junior Isaiah Mcgarry said. “100% worth the time taken out of my day.”

It was time well spent by Mcgarry.

“Very interesting,” Senior Noah Kari, “Even with my teams early leave we still had lots of fun.”

You didn’t have to play in the tournament to have a good time.

“I was a coach not just watching and that got me excited,” Junior Jorge Martinez.

Martinez just had a good time “coaching” his team.

This new 2022-2023 school year has already brought lots of new things and brought back old traditions and with dodgeball returning after 10+ years, there’s bound to be struggles.

Even with a perfect plan, there will always be a problem that arises.

“two teams not showing up made a difficult first round,” Young said, “as well as their only being one redemption round, many teams crowded our table.”

The tournaments entirety brought intense and exciting play, many teams coming out as an underdog, others completely stomping over the competition.

Prime example being the O.T.S and The Bigger Picture rivalry, O.T.S consisted of Bahoura, Boyd, Mcgarry, Tyler Ali, Austin Spitzbarth, and Numehne Gwilly.

The bigger Picture’s members, Tyler Watford, Dylan Kelley, Emerson Hardy, Jonathan Carter, Landon Drew, and Daniel Yarrington.

“Nerves were hitting me before the start of this match,” Kelley said. “I felt I had to prove something to the seniors on that team.”

Kelley was treating this tournament like it was his last time ever playing.

“I had no faith in my team once I saw our opponent,” sophomore Jonathan Carter said. “I was thinking just one-and-done”

Carter just wanted to go home.

“Exciting, fun, and enjoyable,” junior Emerson Hardy said. “Just a bit of on a Thursday night”

For Hardy it was just after school fun

“fun, fun, and just a lot of fun,” senior Daniel Yarrington said. “I was chosen last second, but, I stayed in high spirits and just had a blast.”

O.T.S, the winners, had an amazing time.

“O.T.S on top,” Bahoura said. “Very fun experience, especially winning that Chick-fil-a gift card.”

“It was a great night,” senior Tyler Ali said, “the W was all we wanted, but in the end it was just about fun.”

“pretty exciting, pretty hype,” junior Numehne Gwilly said. “We were just messing around, but then we won the entire tournament.”

That evening at the U saw a gym full of excited and adrenaline filled teens have the time of their lives flinging red foam balls at each other, the memories and fun is all that matters.