It was a night of hairy hoops and hilarity as students and teachers competed in donkey basketball last week. And Future Farmers of America (FFA) student Natalia Capote said these aren't just any donkeys.
“They're trained to play basketball," said Capote. "They're trained to give the crowd a good time so they give a little bit of difficulty, maybe a little bit of sass. Some of them are amazing. And it's just a really fun show for the community, as well as providing scholarships and opportunities for our seniors at FFA.”
The evening started with a game between FFA and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students, followed by the core versus elective teachers competition. The students wore Wranglers, the FBLA donned ties and teachers like Cevin Carr got a bit more creative. “We also have the narwhal costume. But again, I don't think this crotch could straddle a donkey in that thing.”
That horned sea creature put his best fins forward in the 4-legged ballgame. Another core teacher even resorted to bribery.
“We decided the donkeys would not respond to extra credit so we got the carrots and apples. We’ve got nothing if we don’t have that.”
The premise of donkey basketball is pretty easy. Four players ride the donkeys while each team’s fifth player stays dismounted in center court. Riders must be on their donkeys to shoot and can dismount to battle over loose balls. Stubborn as mules, coaxing them down the court was easier said than done.
The grand finale was a showdown between the FFA and the core teachers. Aspiring donkey basketball commentator Eli Severson, a junior at WHS, predicted the winner. “Definitely core teachers. They’ve got two insane powerhouses. I’m not trying to be rude but FFA has no one. Mr. Welling is too good.”
The final score? The core teachers triumphed 16-14 with physics teacher Jonathan Welling leading the herd, who, quite appropriately, said he used a formula equation for height to his advantage. “Be willing to kneel up on your donkey as tall as possible. Because I don't have shooting skills but I can brave my way into reaching really high.”
Well played, core teachers. In the end, even a loss was a win for the farmers of the future.
