The faculty walked away with bragging rights after winning this year’s senior/ faculty basketball game 68- 66.

The game took place during fourth block on April 26. Tickets were $5 and were sold at the door.

Junior class sponsors Tammy McGilvery and Karen Frye organized the event. McGilvery looks forward to the event every year.

“The energy of the students in the gym, cheering on the players, is exciting,” McGilvery said.

The game has been a tradition since the school opened back in 2008.

Phil Roper, boys varsity soccer coach, plays in the game every year. Roper said he enjoys interacting with the other team and making it fun for those who come out to watch.

“I also really like the friendly smack-talk,” Roper said.

Ty Thorpe, varsity baseball coach, knew this year’s senior team would be tough to beat.

“They have a lot of talent and they shoot the ball well,” Thorpe said. However, Thorpe predicted the faculty would win by four points.

Paul Frye, athletic director, knew the seniors had no shot at winning.

“I knew it was going to be a landslide in our favor,” Frye said.

Senior basketball player Drew Nowland disagreed. He believed the faculty team had no idea what they were up against. The senior team stepped onto the court in matching black crop tops with their nicknames on the back, ready to win. Senior coaches Max Stevenson and Ricky Flores were sure their team was going to win. They worked hard on the lineup.

“The best part of coaching was making the match-ups,” Stevenson said. Going head-to-head against some of their favorite teachers is what drew some players into the game.

“My biggest competition on the faculty team was Ms. Olinger,” senior John Hamilton said. “She’s deadly on the court.” S

eniors Richard Meseg, Noah Feno and Wanye Solomon cheered on the senior team.

“It was a tough crowd,” Meseg said. “We had to work hard to get them hyped.”

Although the teachers won, there was some controversy over some of the calls that were made.

“I fully believe that the game was rigged and that points were given unfairly to the faculty team,” Stevenson said.

Senior Alyssa Damato also felt something fishy was going on when it came to the scoreboard.

“I don’t know if it was a fair game because they kept adding points to the scoreboard when they weren’t even scoring,” Damato said.

The event was a fundraiser for the junior class. Even with other field trips taking place that day, the basketball game brought in close to $3,000.

“We were really pleased with the amount we raised,” Frye said. All proceeds will go towards Prom 2020.