Blake Students Take on Teachers for Volleyball Title

On Friday, Feb. 15, the Blake Middle School community turned out for the 2013 Volleyball Extravaganza where students play against teachers in a series of three eight-minute games.

Check out the great photos Patch caught for the 6th and 8th grade games (our apologies to the 7th grade whose game was in the morning).

The crowds were cheering and the bleachers were rumbling as students were cheered and teachers were jeered when they took the court.

An enthusiastic and colorful announcer introduced the teams and the loud music pumped up the crowd during the event.

For the first time in the 20-plus years of the game, the sixth grade student team won two of its three games – with scores 24-9, 15-20, 25-19 -- to triumph over the sixth grade teachers.

The eighth grade team played hard but the teachers played harder in two games. Final scores in those games were 12-23, 14-7, 9-15.

The annual event caps off the students’ six-week unit in volleyball, says BMS Physical Education teacher Jeff Cincotta whose fellow PE teachers (and cheerleaders) include Ellen Gelinas, Mark Nickerson, and Kathleen McCullough.

“Students work on basic skills, team camaraderie, and strategies," explains Cincotta. “They compete in a regular season until we start the class playoffs towards the end of the unit. Each class champion will then compete in the ‘grade level championships.’ The grade level champion will then earn the right to play the teachers in front of the entire grade.”