Creek students got a chance to watch the seniors in action as they challenged a number of their teachers in the annual Senior-Faculty Basketball game. Creek’s finest rose to the challenge to snatch a narrow victory for the seniors, and the match provided both students and teachers a chance to widen their experience by including a round of wheelchair basketball. The wheelchair addition was historical in nature and brought in a whole new crowd.

The match opened with Robin Merritt, CATE teacher, singing the national anthem before taking to the court with Coach DeDe MacPhearson as  referee. Ms. Mary Latulippe, Student Activities Director, acted as the announcer for the game. Teams would be awarded one point when the opposing players fouled, which kept the score from remaining the same for any long period. Players were also allowed to send in substitutes at each two-minute mark to allow everyone a chance to participate.

The first eight-minute quarter saw the men’s teams step up to play, the teachers quickly putting themselves on the scoreboard by making the first basket of the game. After three minutes of all players battling their way up and down the court, the teachers took the first three-point shot of the game, bringing the score to 10-3, with the facutly winning. The seniors, however, soon came back to score another two points, and the teachers took a foul to bring the score up to 10-6. The students worked hard bring their score up, and the first quarter ended with the teachers winning by a narrower margin of 14-12.

The ladies’ teams got their chance to play during the first half of the second quarter. The senior girls came in ready to play, bringing the score to a tie within their first minute of play. Fighting to take the lead over the faculty team, the seniors brought their score up to a winning 17-20 by the time the men got another chance to play. Seemingly determined to give the students victory, the boys’ team gave their teachers few opportunities to score while managing to make a number of baskets themselves, rounding out the second quarter with a winning score of 21-28.

In the break between t h e first and second halves, b o t h students and teachers got t o witness a new twist on their game as the Tirr Hotwheels W h e e l c h a i r Basketball team took to the court to show their skills. Each team consisted of both adults a n d adolescents, all of them in wheelchairs, with those in yellow jerseys playing for the students, and those with no jerseys playing for the teachers. Many of the participants, who came as part of an organization outside of Creek, had specially designed chairs that allowed them to work their way adeptly across the court. Creek student and senior Emily Reed, herself in wheelchair, organized and participated in this part of the event, as well as the third quarter.

“I just wanted to get people aware of wheelchair sports,” Reed said, “That’s the first time I’ve gotten [to participate in] a school event, because I’ve always wanted to do that.”

The halftime players rounded off the period by bringing the score to 25-32 with the students still in the lead. During the third quarter, both students and teachers were given the chance to experience wheelchair basketball for themselves, with all of the players using extra chairs brought by Tirr Hotwheels. After a minute of playtime, Mr. Courtney took the first basket for the teachers, bringing the score to 28-32. Both students and teachers struggled to adjust to their n e w method of play, but the teachers still managed to bring the score to 33-32.

“It was really hard,” senior Taylor Smith said, “I couldn’t pass the ball and I was steering the wrong way. It’s really hard to control the wheelchair.”
During the fourth quarter, the men and ladies got a chance to play together, including three seniors who volunteered to play for the teachers so both teams could have enough players.

“It was a fun experience. I didn’t expect to play for the teachers, but playing in the game was really fun,” senior Wesley Brake said. “As long as I’m in the game, I don’t care.”

The teachers quickly brought up their score to take the lead with 36-34. The students responded by bringing the game to a tie and going on to take the lead with a score of 36-40. The seniors took two three-point shots to bring the score to 41-46, but the teachers came back to tie the game at 46-46 with 16 seconds left in the game, which was cut short to allow students to leave to catch their buses. A foul in the last few seconds, however, gave the seniors the points they needed to win by a narrow margin of 46-47.

The game gave seniors’ a n opportunity to participate in an activity they can carry on into their college years, and their victory left a legacy for next year’s seniors to carry on.