As the winter months come to an end, students start to look forward to spring and the fun activities that follow. Some students are excited about spring sports, some are excited about the upcoming musical, and others are excited about BHS’s own phenomenon: March Madness dodgeball.

It all starts with putting a team together, and coming up with a team name. In dodgeball, the team name can either make you or break you. Whether your team watches the familiar movie “Dodgeball” starring the Globo Gym Purple Cobras, lifts weights, or works on throwing techniques, dodgeball at BHS is no joke.

Underdog team NARK is preparing as the madness approaches. NARK consists of five seniors: Ray Todoroff, Nathan Ryan, Casey Connor, Chase Woodward, team captain Jackson Burbic, and junior Cam Donahue. Like many team names, team NARK’s etymology is creative. “The word narc came from ‘21 Jump Street’ and then I started calling people narcs but with a K at the end instead of a C. We’re different,” said Burbic.

Preparation for a championship is key. All of the members on team NARK play a winter sport, so they are a step ahead in the physical department. They also hold team practices against the team Snoop Dodge. As NARK prepares and the tournament fastly approaches, the team’s goals will either be fulfilled or destroyed. Last year NARK made it to the quarterfinals; but they have a different mindset this year. “We’re going to win. We’re going to show everyone we’re the best. We won’t just win at dodgeball but we will have a team represented at each March Madness event,” said Todoroff.

As far as roles go, “Cam is the supplier. Ray is the cannon. Casey is the dodger and Chase is the moral support,” noted Todoroff. Team NARK’s overall motto this year is, “send first, safety second,” which really means do something and worry about it later.

The only thing that could possibly stop the team from advancing to the championship will be the referees. “Last year we made it to the quarterfinals and lost to the second-place team. Ryan Bruning was out and then he came back in,” said the collective team. Although team

NARK did lose, Woodward added, “we beat Ebola and King of the Hill which were seeded much higher than us.” Junior Cam Donahue said, “I think they’ll (The Bandits, last year’s runner-up) be a strong team but we’re coming in more prepared than ever so it’ll be a good match. We’ll be pushing through to make up for last year so I won’t say any predictions but I think it’ll be a game to watch.”

The Bandits are coming into this year’s tournament very confident despite last year’s loss in the finals. This team consists of seniors Ryan Bruning and Gary DiSarcina, junior Ben Floren, sophomores Pat Sheran and Kevin Craig, and freshman Ryan Proto. As far as their team name goes, “that’s very confidential” said DiSarcina. The Bandits “came to be by a higher power,” said Floren. The Bandits quickly put the rumors of tryouts for an open spot on the team to rest. If they were to hold a tryout, “it would be a strict recruiting process,” said Proto. The only preparation needed to take the championship this year is “teamwork and bands,” said Floren. That may be all they need considering The Bandits are made up of highly-competitive baseball players.

While some teams go “hard” at high school dodgeball, The Bandits have a different outlook on it. “We lollygag it. It has to be lollygagged,” said Floren. The Bandits wish to rectify last year’s second-place finish this upcoming tournament. “We ran out of gas last year,” said DiSarcina. “We weren’t quite mentally prepared for the finals,” added Floren. “We were a very young team,” argued Bruning.

You can count on The Bandits to be a tough competitor. “It’ll be a repeat of last year up until the finals,” promised Floren. As far as roles on the team go, “I’m the team cap’n. Floren and Bruning are the P.O’s, and Proto is the catcher. The others are just extras,” said DiSarcina.

It seems that the referees are a recurring concern. “Our biggest threats will be the referees and the two kids with heart conditions,” said DiSarcina. When asked if team NARK would be a threat, the collective laughed, “absolutely not.”

French teacher, Fadner Pierre is a six-time BHS dodgeball competitor. Pierre started playing in 2009, his first year teaching at Barnstable. “I love dodgeball. It is in my opinion, the best event in school that we organize. It brings together men, women, young kids, and older kids. The entire student population is involved,” Pierre said. Pierre plays for two reasons: “I want to believe I’m still young and it helps me be active.” While the dodgeball student body goes all-out to prepare, Pierre goes about it a little differently. “I stretch. Last year I pulled a muscle. This year I’m going to stretch,” Pierre promised.

While some teams hold tryouts to look for the best possible competitors, other teams are jumbled together. Teachers are not required on a team to be eligible to play but they can definitely be an advantage. “There are no factors. Whoever will accept me as a member, I’m in,” Pierre stated.