The crowd roars from the bleachers as the sound of squeaking sneakers echo across the court, and sweat drips down the players’ faces as they dart toward the basket.

The Student Teacher Basketball Game takes place on the second day of Spirit Week. 13 students and 10 teachers with administrators will play in the game in the gymnasium during lunch. Teachers and administrators have been preparing to verse the students during the game.

“There have been extensive practices that the staff has been having off school hours,” Assistant principal William Clark said. “I feel like we’ve got a stupendous group of guys and gals this year that are ready to bring it to the students.”

Social studies teacher Jeffrey Stohr has been playing basketball for the past 45 years. Mr. Stohr plans to incorporate his previous knowledge to the Student Teacher Basketball Game.

“I started playing in fifth grade, and I was tall, so (people) told me I had to play basketball,” Mr. Stohr said. “In college, I played intramural stuff, then I started teaching, and I’ve coached. I haven’t been in the league in a while, but I haven’t stopped playing basketball.”

According to Mr. Stohr, the students are likely to win the upcoming basketball match against the teachers. This is because the students have been practicing throughout this year’s basketball season, whereas the teachers are relying on their past experience from when they were in school. Mr. Stohr believes that the students’ recent practice will give them an edge over the teachers during the match.

“We want to beat the students at some point, but I’m not sure we ever will,” Mr. Stohr said. “We have a lot of experience, but we’re old, and we’re also bad. We have a few good players, but the kids should win as they are basketball players. Experience shouldn’t matter. When you start moving, and when they start moving, you realize that you’re not quick at all.”

Some students have different motivations for playing the annual basketball game against teachers. Some students, such as theatre junior Guilbrhea Pacheco, have played basketball for over five years, and as a current girls basketball team member, she is excited to go against her coach.  

“I always wanted to go one-on-one against him (girls’ basketball coach and math teacher Joshua Millstein),” Pacheco said. “I just want to prove to him that I’m better.”

This year will also be the last time some of the seniors on the basketball team will be playing in a high school basketball game. Strings senior Athalie Bazile has been playing basketball for nine years and has been on the girls’ basketball team since  it was first created, and this will be one of the last games of her high school career.

“I’m super excited, but I’m also just really sad that it’s my last year,” Bazile said. “I’m just realizing that it’s the beginning of the end, and my time here is coming to an end, and I’m just really honored that I can be a part of it with (my team).”

Although this basketball game may seem like a simple competition between students and teachers, Mr. Clark sees it as a way to demonstrate to students that teachers also can share similar interests with the students.

“I think it’s important for students to be able to see their teachers, their assistant principals, and adults on campus in a different light to show them that we are human and that we do like to go out and have fun,” Mr. Clark said. “It’s not just (like) we’re stuck here grading papers and helping support students and teaching classes, but that we’re willing to put ourselves out there and go have fun.”

This is a developing story.

An update was made to this story March 13. 

Math teacher Joshua Milstein and digital junior Tyson Jimerson stand head to head, ready to kick off the game. An alarm blares through the gymnasium, signaling for the two to begin the game — they jump and reach for the ball during the toss up. Jimerson quickly grabs the ball but the teachers soon take it back. 

The annual Student Teacher Basketball Game took place in the gymnasium March 12. Students from the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams represented the student body as they played against teachers and staff. Historically, the teachers have never won against the students in Ms. Bennett’s time as principal. 

“We’re trying to have a good time,” athletics director Matthew Vaughan said. “It’s not really about winning (or) losing even though we want to win. But it’s to make everybody happy. We’re trying to participate and to show them that we’re real people, not just robot teachers.”

After the first quarter, the teachers were up 8-2. Students met up in a team huddle and planned how to make a comeback while the teachers drank some water and prepared to get back out on the court. Theatre freshman Zachary Turner gave his opinion on how to make the comeback after the first quarter.

“We’re tired right now,” Turner said. “I mean, we just gotta push hard because we’re getting a little tired (and) we’re getting a little sloppy. So we just (have) got to watch our defense and their passes and stuff like that.”

The students made a comeback with band senior Nathan Goldin making multiple baskets, bringing the score to 26-26 right as the second quarter finished. While the Powderpuff dancers and Step Team took their places for the halftime show, both sides had to get prepared to end the game. As the teams ran out to start the second half, students in the bleachers screamed for both teams. 

“It was very nerve-racking,” communications freshman Kaitlyn Maldonado said. “I feel like it’s more pressure (than) in a regular game (where) I feel like there’s less people from the whole school. I was kind of nervous, but it was fun.”

With less than a minute left of the 4th quarter, the teachers were up by two points, raising the score to 35-33. Students like Jimerson and Turner tried to get the ball back, however, once it was in Assistant Principal Jennifer Napuli’s hands, there was no going back. Right before the alarm blared, signaling the end of the game, Ms. Napuli jumped up and made the final shot: a layup.

“I had missed so many others, but I’m glad I was able to seal the win for the team,” Ms. Napuli said. 

While teachers like history teacher Jeffrey Stohr and Ms. Napuli said they were concerned about the game and assumed they would lose, math teacher Mr. Milstein had full confidence in his team. 

“I’m new here,” Mr. Milstein said. “And we’re undefeated since I’ve been here, so it’s gonna keep going year after year.”

After the game ended, students, including Jimerson, looked back and reflected on the game in order to get ready for next year. 

“They (the teachers) don’t take anything for granted,” Jimerson said. “They gave us everything they got and they deserve to win. You know, I love seeing them go hard and play basketball like they’re our age. It’s a lot of fun playing with them, so I can’t complain at all.”

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