Comic by Angelia Bell
WOOOOOOOOO! That’s right Franklin, it’s that time of the year again. Time for the spirit of sport to overwhelm the hallways of Franklin High, for the percussive bounces of basketballs colliding with the floor of the gym, and for everyone to hear the warcry of everyone’s favorite environmental science teacher. March means Madness, and Madness there will be.
I’ve recently had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Gain, the spokesperson for the Franklin March Madness tournament, about the history of March Madness in FHS, and where he hopes it will go in the coming years.
“How long have you been in charge of March Madness at FHS?”
This is the fourth year we’re doing March Madness, I did for eleven years prior at West Allis where I used to teach.
“How much has the popularity of the tournament increased throughout the years?”
We’ve always had somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 teams, usually about 200 or 220 kids. This year we have 24 boys teams and six girls teams and we have I believe 211 kids involved in the actual tournament.
“Is there anything you’d like to tell teams that are new to the tournament?”
I’m glad that people are catching on to the fact that you don’t have to be the most athletic people to have fun in March Madness. You have something to do during gold block, you have fun with your friends, getting together and strategizing. But then you can also win the best uniforms, you can win the best sportsmanship award, you can be in the thick of things without being these top-notch players. There’s a lot more that March Madness has to offer than a lot of people would think.
“Has the final game of the season ever ended in a tie?”
If it did, we’d either extend it by a minute, if we had the time. Everything comes down to those last seconds with the assembly and what not. In the early rounds if there’s time we’ll have a free throw shoot off. As soon as one player makes it the other team has a chance to take a shot; it’s a kind of sudden death.
Be sure to listen for the “Wooooo!” in the morning announcements for updates from Mr. Gain on this year’s season. Be sure to stay up to date with your brackets!
But that’s only
I spoke with Grant Heminger, coach and player for the Vonderwell Elites, to find out what it’s been like for his team for the past years.
“How many years have you been participating in the FHS March Madness tournament?”
Since my freshman year physically, but mentally since the day I was born.
“How have those past years gone for your team?”
They’ve gone well. Every year we’ve gone farther, this year we’re going all the way. We faced adversity our freshman year, having to play seniors in our first round. We put up a great effort. Sophomore year we made it even farther, again lost to an upperclassmen team with a great performance. We’ve been slept on these past few years, and it’s time to show what a Vonderwell Elite really is.
“Are there any new coaching techniques you’re trying out to improve your team’s performance?”
Yes, I can now declassify last year’s game plan. It was a two-word game plan, extremely effective. It was “feed Jacob,” that is Jacob Vonderwell. Feed that man the ball. Feed the beast, so to speak. “Feed me, Seymour,” he’d say, “feed me, Seymour.” And we’d feed him and he’d score. So this year we have a little more diversity, as I’m sure you’re aware, I’m playing this year. So the game plan has expanded. Obviously, this is classified information, I can’t tell you what the game plan is this year, but I can declassify last year’s, which was: “Feed Jacob.”
“Do you have any tips for newcomers to the March Madness scene?”
Oh, absolutely. Well, it’s important to get a coach right away who can develop a game plan, which takes a long time to create, develop, and really turn into something executable. So find a good coach, make sure team chemistry is good, and if you’re a player, you need to get signed somewhere. Make sure you weigh your options, and you leverage options for other teams. Make sure you get a signing bonus from somebody. Last year I got a gallon of chocolate milk for coaching so look for those options.
The Vonderwell Elites aim to go all the way this year, and you can keep up to date with them by listening to the announcements for updates on all of your favorite teams.
Whether you’re going to be out on the court shooting three-pointers or cheering for your favorite team in the bleachers, March Madness is a time of the year we can all enjoy together. It’s events like this that let us as a student body to come together and celebrate one common goal: our love of basketball.