For the second year in a row, DBCV3 walked away with the dodgeball championship, cementing their legacy in the annual tournament. With principal, Heather Patterson and activities administrator Jennifer Burkes, the team delivered a phenomenal performance.
Reflecting on her first time playing in the event, Patterson said “It was an excellent experience. Just how the kids interacted with each other and with the adults, it was just an overall great experience and I had a great time. That’s the first time that Mrs. Burkes and I have ever played.” She also highlighted the teamwork she witnessed throughout the night. “They had a lot of energy and were very spirited…displaying character and integrity, and that is not a surprise because Perry Puma kids are awesome.”
Senior Jayden Kimling, who has played in the tournament for three years, reflected on the experience. “Dodgeball was always fun. I’ve had brothers that played it, and we won the championship two years in a row” Kimling said. ”It’s always super fun. Great atmosphere.”
DBCV3 faced tough competition in the past but this year Kimling said the road to the
the championship was smooth. “This year they were all easy,” he said. “We came in there with a big ego. We kind of just showed everyone what we were saying.”
Despite their confidence, DBCV3 did not do anything in preparation for the game. “Honestly, we didn’t do anything. We came out there and we showed up“ Kimling said.
Senior Maddox Ford reciprocated this statement, emphasizing the team’s mindset going into the tournament. “While going in you know you’re confident,” Ford said “We won last year so we wanted to go back to back. We just walked in knowing we were going to walk out with the ring on our finger.”
When I asked about their toughest competition Ford pointed out specific players rather than teams. “I know one of the kids was Ben Hagerman, he was on the camo team,” Ford said. “But in the championship we played Ricky the junior… he was slinging it, but not enough to get it done for whatever team they were.”
Winning back to back titles is a big deal for Ford. “Honestly, it was more important than most things. I‘d rather win that than a football championship” Ford said. “It’s the top of the food chain for awards so I was excited.”
As for pregame rituals, the team kept it simple. “No pregame no warm-up… Every time before the game we got a little lapping got the blood flowing and you’re ready to roll.” Ford said.
With a majority of the team graduating, the question remains, who will become the champions next year? One thing’s for certain though they sure did have a great performance.
