Spikeball sparks competition
Last year, Titans dodged balls. This year, they spiked them. Students across all grades competed in a fierce competition to eliminate the enemy team.
In each round, two teams of two stood on adjacent sides of a circular elevated net placed on a spot in the gym. The goal: to spike the small rubber ball and make the opposing team unable to repel it back.
A part of the fun was selecting team names. Seniors Justin Nguyen and Justin Lubisich were especially clever in choosing theirs.
“Our team name is Justin, and one of the Justins is the best player on our team,” Nguyen said.
Senior teammates Preston Jackson and Colton Hintz were thrilled to compete.
“Spikeball is a ton of fun, and I loved being able to share my enjoyment of the sport with my friends,” Jackson said.
The tournament worked in a bracket type structure, where teams would compete, and the winning team would move forward.
Over the course of a week, teams were slowly eliminated one by one until two teams remained Phineas and Ferb (senior Rhett Jorgensen and freshman Luke Jorgensen), and Shrek and Donkey (seniors Ryan Kroepel and Joey Pancheri) faced off in an intense match on Jan. 17.
The two teams stayed tied up till the very end, with both teams having incredible saves.
The championship game quickly turned into an acrobatic spectacle as both teams ran at their top speed and saved the ball from hitting the ground, even in the most unlikely of situations.
Ultimately, the Jorgensen brothers took the win against Kroepel and Pancheri by a score of 21 to 19.
“It was super cool to be able to play and win with my little brother in front of the student body,” Joregensen said.
With lots of student participation and a cheering crowd, many hope this competition is back in future years.
