Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, Dodge

4 April 2012Taryn O

Last week students returned from a well-deserved March Break for rest and relaxation. Upon arrival, the calm that students had enjoyed for a far-too-short period of two and a half weeks was vaporized, and so began third term. As we started to settle back into the rhythm of the school, Assistant Head Prefects David L-R and Charlotte W decided to welcome back the masses with a just-for-fun interhouse event: dodgeball.

The competition started at 8:30 on Friday night. Students were eager to take advantage of a shorter prep, and sure enough, the mob began to pack into the gym as early as possible.

Teams were to be made up of six girls and six boys apiece, with at least one student of each gender from grades nine to twelve. The remaining spots (four per team), were then filled by enthusiasts keen to represent their house in a flurry of spheres. The best of three rounds were played, with the winners going on to face each other in the final, and the losers fighting for 3rd and 4th.

A win is determined when, after a time limit, one team has managed to keep more players alive than the other. A caught ball leaves the thrower ‘out’, as does getting hit. Players do not get to return to the court once they have been ‘out’ unless, by some miracle, a member of their team sinks a dodgeball into the opposing team’s basketball hoop. For those of you who can’t visualize this distance, that’s over half of our large gymnasium away.

Starting off the night was the green of Ellis (accompanied by their mascot, the unicorn), and the blue of Privett. They played out their matches, each battling until the very end, with Privett finally pulling out as the winner.

Next was Rogers, clad in bright orange, and Whittall wearing the red of the bull. Whittall secured a win to catapult themselves into what would be a nail-biting final of three games.
   
In the combat for third, Ellis emerged victorious, leaving Rogers to lick their wounds. Then came the big games, those that had spectators clinging on the edge of their seats. Privett and Whittall took to the court, led by respective House Captains Ian M and Jake K.

True to the anticipated thrill, Privett and Whittall took the battle for first place into a three game series. Whittall won the first, and then Privett came back to tie and put pressure on the final. In the last minute of the match, red was down by a significant number, and left only girls on the court to fight for the winning spot. Time was winding down, and Whittall could only grasp at straws of hope near the end, until Alia V did the impossible.

A few balls were thrown, and one right on target: the basketball hoop.

As the members of the red team began to celebrate, confusion struck. It appeared that, although she had made a beautiful toss, unbeknownst to her and the members of her team, Alia’s earlier ball had been caught, leaving the magnificent hoop she had made ineligible to win the competition.

A sudden death round ensued, with three people from each team and a time limit. In the end, Privett reigned victorious, but it wasn’t for lack of trying from everyone else.

Interhouse dodgeball was a fun event, not for points in the struggle to win the interhouse cup, but an affair to bring together the houses in a night of prep-free fun.

Taryn O