By Rory Mahon ’18

Chaminade fosters a professional atmosphere between teachers and students. However, on March 2, that atmosphere transformed, as friendly competitiveness took over in the AAC. In all-out duels throughout the night, the teachers and seniors took to the court going back and forth, shot for shot until one team was determined winner.

Before the faulty-senior game, 10 minute five-on-five student games started the night, which were the preliminary matches for the intramural final later on in the night. After that, the three-point shootout commenced. Coming from homeroom 4C, Emmet Chapey and John Cooke beat Brendan Krebs and Sean Kustera from 4G in the student games.  Mr. Joseph Ceriello ’10 and Mr. Jorge Vargas took down Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Sebastian Agosti ’09 in the teachers bracket final. Head to head, Chapey and Cooke won the exciting match-up by a slim margin.

Next up were the finals of the intramural basketball tournament with Teams Errante and Tomlinson in the finals. After a hard-fought battle, Team Tomlinson took the win with a score of 24-19. After some dinner and a look back to their 3C week experience, the seniors were back on the court facing the teachers themselves. After the first quarter, the teachers held the lead, 13-11. At the conclusion of the second quarter, the teachers pulled away taking a 10 point lead, 26-16. The seniors rebounded but still trailed 33-28 by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, the seniors took a lead, 40-39, but the teachers refused to quit. With less than three minutes to go, Kyle Woll made a crucial free throw, tying the match up at 45-45.  Kyle said, “I was kind of scared, but it was a good time. We rose up, and we did what we had to do. I kept telling everybody that I needed one basket, and in the end, it worked out. We all had a great night.”

Up and down the court,  teachers and students played extraordinary defense, leaving the score 45-45 with a little less than six seconds to go when Mr. Ceriello was fouled. With his third free throw, he pulled the teachers ahead. After a failed last second attempt by the seniors, the buzzer sounded leaving the final score of 46-45 in favor of the teachers.

One of the top scorers in the senior v. teacher game, Francesco Maropakis, commented, “Despite losing, it was a great experience playing with and in front of my fellow classmates.  This will be one of those memories that will stick with me for a long time.”

After almost four years of bonding, the seniors and the teachers have grown close. All the seniors enjoyed themselves last night, but their final opposition is soon to come: they still have to take their final set of comprehensive exams.  It’s hard work from here, and we wish them the best of luck.