Each year, the students take on the staff in an exhibition basketball game and leave it all on the court. Did your teacher give you a bad grade? Well then, break their ankles!
Last year, the students took home bragging rights along with the win after a game-winning buzzer-beater three-pointer. This year was just another classic game in a series of lively, friendly matchups. Though this game wasn’t as close as the last one, students and staff alike shared laughter in this light-hearted event.
As the bell rings, students are dismissed from class and sent to the gymnasium. Both squads warmed up with their star basketball player coaches. Leigh Cotton 26’, and Melania Cortnute 27’ coached the staff, and Decarlo Prince 26’, and Caleb Hill 26’ coached the students.
The Referees for the game were Justin Robinson 27’, Jaden Jacobs 27’, Trayvion Jones 28’, Aidan Reynolds 28’, and Tatum Smith 26’.
Students win the initial tip-off, winning the first of many small battles. But then Nick Fornoff, the sports performance trainer, former collegiate track athlete, and current track coach, delivers a powerful slam dunk. This wasn’t just two points; it was a statement; this is the staff’s court! The teachers then gained even more momentum with another statement. Former STVM quarterback and current biology teacher Dominic Davis showed off some athleticism, blocking a student’s shot and sending the ball into the senior student section.
In Q2, more matchups present themselves as more substitution enter the game. During one play, a fan favorite, Grant Bradshaw 28’ had the ball hurled toward him, and he failed to convert the fast break into an easy 2 points. However, the students continued adding on to the lead going into halftime.
Halftime comes, and the students have a solid lead. Senior Owen Schuleter and science teacher Mrs. Francis attempt half-court shots, both narrowly missing. A box of Lucky Charms is given to both of them as a participation trophy.
In the third quarter, it was more of the same. Students were the ones giving out demerits, and the teachers were practically absent.
Now it’s the fourth quarter, and the students have a commanding lead. With only a couple of minutes left, the coaches of both teams substituted on the court to give the fans what they wanted, keeping the game fun and making it closer. But it was too little too late.
At last, the students won 26-21.
After the game, STVM student, Dwight Hodges 26’, and the Athletic Director, Kyle Sasala, were asked questions about the Staff vs Students basketball game.
Dwight transferred into STVM at the start of the school year and coincidentally transferred into the student team’s roster, telling me,“You know, at first, I wasn’t on the list, which really made me sad, but they let me play, which really made me happy. And it was a very fun experience. First year at St. V. Great experience. I hope we do it every year I’m here.”
Dwight also addressed his team’s performance and win, saying, “The team’s performance? Great, you know, we beat the teachers. That’s all that matters.”
Dwight also expressed his favorite matchup of the day – “Me versus Coach Nick, you know, he was D I (a Division I athlete). Coach Nick’s a great athlete. I got blocked. But it’s okay, because, you know, I got back and got a basket on him.”
Now that you see a student’s perspective on the friendly battle, Mr. Sasala’s input sheds more light on the teacher’s perspective. He explained that despite the staff’s age, they put in a lot of effort to keep up with the youth. “I thought we battled—a lot of older people, older gentlemen, older women who are a little bit washed up. I, myself, took a nice fall there late in the 4th quarter, right on my butt. showed my age right there, but I think we battled hard, especially for a lot of us who haven’t played in probably two, three, four, 5 years like myself. It was a great show, a lot of fun.”
He also addressed his favorite matchup of the afternoon, applauding Charles Brown’s intensity. “Favorite matchup of the day was probably Chuck Brown and who else? Chuck Brown, anybody else! Chuck just dominated, and whoever he was up against, he took him to the paint.”
Mr. Sasala comically shared his take on the decision to allow the STVM varsity basketball player-coaches to compete. Explaining it was alright for the staff’s coaches to play, but the students’ coaches, not so much.“I thought it was great. Having Leigh and Melania out there was awesome. Not a big fan of having Delo and Caleb out there. I thought that was a little bit unfair, but I let that one slide. But no, they stepped in and got us some extra points, and I think we only lost by what, seven or so? So we definitely needed them at the end because they took us closer to winning.”
This match was undoubtedly fun for the staff and students playing, and especially for the audience.
I think everyone can thank the administration for putting on this show. What did you think of the Students vs Staff Basketball Game? Leave a comment below!
