Dodge Ball is not just a PE game that you have to play to pass gym class, it is now a fun tournament at RHS that anyone can be a part of. At Ripon High, Kade Nelson and Ava Brocchini were in charge of this year’s dodge ball tournament and made dodge ball as fun as it has ever been before. The tournament consisted of 13 teams of ten people, consisting of both amazing Ripon High students and staff. The teams that played were The Ten Freshmen, The Dinos, Soccer Studs, Rednecks, Sarmy, Ball Handlers, It’s Not What It Looks Like, Cole’s Hamsters, DOS, Sarm Destroyers, Dingles and The Ripon High School Dodge Ball Team of Ripon California. 

     “The Dingles is one of the rare teams that has been in the tournament since the beginning, since day one,” stated history teacher, Mr. Perez. 

     Another fun and exciting aspect of this event was the fact that people got to pick and choose team captains as well as team names. The team names didn’t have to be about dodge ball, however the team that ended up winning first place was the Ripon High School Dodge Ball Team of Ripon California. The Ripon High School Dodge Ball Team of Ripon California included Evan McKeon, Jaden Clark, Donovan Armstrong, Dilsher Singh, Logan Gillespie, Rylan Pieretti, Noah Stum, Anthony Sausedo, Ryan Lefebvre and Josh Martinez. 

     “The name is controversial, but the way I defend that controversy is I always say that our team is named after the City of Dingle in Ireland and there’s a lot of berries there. That is how I defend the team because it’s not what people think,“ stated Perez. 

     Even if you didn’t want to play in the tournament, Ripon High students and staff were able to watch the tournament. It was everyday at lunch starting March 14th and ended on March 18th of 2022. The turnout for not only the players but the audience itself was great, and showed much support for the tournament. Although the game of dodge ball seems simple enough, the intensity of it all remained. Luckily enough, there was an option to buy back in for $15.00 for a second chance to win.  

     “It’s always a really good turnout and it’s really exciting. A lot of the kids get excited. This year I was really impressed with the organizers because you know we had thirteen teams, usually we have eight,” stated Perez.