43
AMS dodgeball tournament raises funds
Photo
Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Off the dodgeball court, Austintown school employees from Austintown Middle School, Frank Ohl, and Lloyd call themselves friends. When the whistle blew in the open division play during the AMS Dodgeball tournament on March 8, the pals were bitter enemies.
Photo
Neighbors | Sarah Foor .The Austintown Bounce dodgeball team showed their game faces in preparation for their tournament round on March 8. The team competed in the open division play during the Austintown Middle School dodgeball tournament.
Photo
Neighbors | Sarah Foor .The players of "Blevin's Bombers" were ready at the line during open division play on March 8 for the AMS Dodgeball tournament.
By SARAH FOOR
The possibility of being crowned Austintown’s ultimate dodgeball team champion had students, parents and residents fired up during the week of March 9.
Jim Penk, assistant principal for seventh-grade at Austintown Middle School, used to host a dodgeball tournament back when he was an eighth-grade teacher. While looking for creative ways to raise money for the principal’s fund at AMS this year, Penk decided to bring the tournament back.
The idea was met with great enthusiasm among Penk’s student body and Austintown residents. The competitors included 26 teams of AMS sixth-graders, 18 teams of seventh-graders, 15 teams of eighth-graders and 23 teams in the open division that included Austintown school employees, high school students, and local businesses, among others. Each set of teams competed on a different day of the week to head for the March 9 final showdown.
Tournament games featured soft Nerf balls and hitting any competitor in the face or back of the head was forbidden. Teams packed the AMS gym each night during the tournament to watch games and see the bracket as the competition got smaller and smaller.
“The response and excitement for the tournament has been really exciting. Everyone appreciates the friendly competition and it’s all for a great cause. The principal’s fund is a general fund that we use for any student or teacher needs, whether that is new books, projects, or field trips,” said Penk during open division play on March 8.
Bruce Shepas, a co-owner of Austintown Bounce, stretched out and got game ready with his Bounce team on March 8. Shepas said he and his co-workers were glad to participate in the fun at AMS.
“The tournament is raising a lot of money for AMS students and we are glad to throw around some dodge balls for a great cause,” Shepas said.
During the March 9 finals, the “Dodge Fathers” a team of AMS teachers Dan Schnurrenberger, TJ Parker, Jeff Wilson, Mike Zoccali, Brian Weidenthal, John Hudson and Jason Cochran were crowned the champions of the tournament.