Youthful energy trumped experience Wednesday during Peter Skene Ogden Secondary’s annual Grads versus Teachers hockey game.
Despite starting neck-in-neck, with every goal matched in the first period, the teachers - and parents - started to flag in the back half of the second period. This gave the students their chance to take a decisive lead, cheered on by the crowd every time they scored.
In the end, the grads won 12-7.
“Overall the game was a lot of fun,” said Kameron Taylor, PSO’s athletics director. “I always have a lot of fun playing with the kids, it’s just another opportunity to make connections with them outside of the classroom where we get to know other sides of each other that aren’t just academic based.”
The annual dry grad fundraiser made its return to the South Cariboo Rec Centre after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19. The event, which included admission, bake sales and a concession, raised $1,879.75, said student organizer Megan Balbirnie, who was responsible for getting jerseys for the game.
The game included one team of 21 students and another comprised of teachers and parents. Balbirnie, who is graduating this year, said it was special to face off against her dad Wade on the ice.
“We just wanted to have fun, we had players who had never played before and players who have been playing for their whole lives,” she said. “It was really good that we won, it would have been embarrassing if I’d lost to my dad.”
Taylor said it was fun to see the students taken on their parents but wishes there were more than four teachers on the ice.
“My highlight was when any parent was on the ice with their children - from holding their sticks to bickering with one another - and no penalties were being called unless it was the teachers doing something to the students,” Taylor said. “We never got a single penalty shot.”
The hockey game continues fundraising for Grad ‘22. Balbirnie said planning is underway and will see a return to traditional ceremonies. She encourages the community to participate in the grad class’ bottle drive, cookie dough sales and other fundraisers.
“We’re going to have a traditional parade, then go down to Centennial Park and do the walk-ons on stage so we can have our families there,” she said. “Prom will be at the school in the gym, courtyard and the field so we can have a bunch of outdoor and indoor activities. There’s going to be dancing, food and all those kinds of things.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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