Pictured above: The Jones Gym before the games took place (picture from Calvin Lymper)
The annual 2023 Dodgeball Tournament opened its doors at 6:30 PM on November 17th at the Jones Gym. The tournament is a part of Cherry Hill West’s Spirit Week celebration, and the event itself is sponsored by West’s National Honor Society. The tournament was comprised of seven teams, each with eight members. The teams included the Pandas (sporting white shirts), the Dodge Fathers (also sporting white shirts), the Average Joes (sporting pink cutoffs), the Ocean Men (sporting black outfits), the Business Stompers (sporting black outfits and masks), Team Danger Zone (also sporting black outfits), and the Purple Cobras (sporting purple shirts).
Two games were played simultaneously next to each other, spanning the size of the basketball court. Basic dodgeball rules were set in place, as well as an automatic out if a player steps over the midline on their court, or catches a ball out of bounds. Games initially would be played until one team had all their players get out, but as the tournament progressed, games were played for a six-minute period and whatever team had more players, that were still in, won their game.
Pictured above: The moment the championship game began between the Cobras and Joes (picture from Calvin Lymper)
The championship game was played between the Purple Cobras and the Average Joes. The intense battle saw a Purple Cobras victory by the end of the six-minute period, concluding the tournament at 7:45 PM. The victorious Cobras team was comprised of coach Andre Scott and players Ethan Turley, Jordan Gonzalez, AJ Spector, Ben Manns, Mikey Keller, Quinn Gibson, Aiden Ryder, Carter Gill, and Kyle Gonzalez.
Picture from Cherry Hill West NHS Instagram
Following the victory, the Cobras were briefly interviewed by members of the NHS. On the subject of the status of his team, senior Ethan Turley described, “If there’s a word greater than great, that’s the word.”
“We had people doubting us, left and right,” senior Mikey Keller stated, on the subject of the Cobras’ mindset going into the tournament. “Everyone was going up to us, telling us, ‘We got you this year.’”
In a few words to truly encapsulate the triumphant win, senior Ben Manns added, “They wrote us off, but we ain’t writing back, baby!”
