School events are not too common, but whenever they do happen, it is almost certainly going to be one to remember. This year’s March Madness event was no different, hosting 10+ teams across middle school and high school, all competing for a chance to win the gold medal and face off against the team of teachers and staff. For the teams participating and the spectators, it wasn’t just about basketball; it was about bonding and community building, something that kids often seem too busy to do.
The event was hosted over four days, from Monday, March 9th, to Thursday, March 12th. Competition was hosted during both periods four and five out on the blacktop, covering competition for both middle schoolers and high schoolers. The games were played out in the unforgiving single-elimination style, meaning one small slip-up, and your team would be eliminated from the entire competition.
When asked about the games, first-round participant Neil Bhaduri stated, “The games were intense, and the incentives like food and drinks were nice.”
For spectators, the games were equally exhilarating. Ojas Deshmukh, a spectator, said excitedly, “I would absolutely want to see this event happen again next year. I loved this event.”
During the high school brackets, two teams in particular were dominating every game they played: the freshman team of Charlie Zheng, Ryan Yan, and Kevin Zhao, as well as the leading champions, Jason Lee, Rakhi Pamula, and Rusheel Karnataki.
When describing one of his games, Charlie recounted an and-one layup during the first round. “It felt like I was flying, I was jumping so high, but there was a hand pulling me down to the ground, but I made it. It felt like Michael Jordan,” he said.
In the end, when these two teams faced off against each other for the gold medal and the chance to play against the teachers, Jason’s team prevailed, showing why they’re the reigning champions.
“It felt very frustrating to lose, but I am motivated to win next year,” said Yan, hoping to win the championship next year with the same team.
As for the middle school brackets, Maxwell Yang of the seventh grade led his team to victory, winning the gold medal, although neither of the two winning student teams won against the teachers.
Mr. Gailliard, a member of the teacher and staff team, recounted his highlight moment as “assisting Coach Mosley five to six times” during the high school game.
The games were smooth overall, but the school-wide opinion was that there should be more effort put into having as fair refereeing as possible.
All in all, the school-wide opinion for both players and spectators alike is that these events should happen more often, as they are a great way to bond as well as relieve some of the stress on students.
“They[the games] should be more frequent. It gives kids a chance to compete in a friendly way, but also get additional exercise while having fun,” said Mr. G.