Title hopefuls defeated 2-0 by hasty underclassmen team

Sophomores Moe Ceballos, Chris Jimenez, Nikkei Lopes, Meg Nichols, Connor Williams and freshman Daniel Orozco answered to Cristy Dawson’s call for a dodgeball team. The six adopted the team name “Panda Express” and defeated the heavy favorite Click Clack Gang.

With shifty moves and soft hands instead of rocks, the first big David versus Goliath upset of the 2010 dodgeball season occurred during the first day of the tournament on Monday, May 17.

Title hopefuls Click Clack Gang were a final-four team from last year. Comprised of predominantly upperclassmen varsity football players, the team fell to a spur-of-the-moment group of younger underclassmen.

“It was frickin’ scary,” sophomore Moe Ceballos said. “I felt at first like we were going to get humiliated … then I was like, ‘Hell yeah.’”

In an attempt to avoid a wasted five minutes of dodeball action, Assistant Principal Cristy Dawson asked the crowd for players who were not on a dodgeball team to step forward and challenge the Click Clack Gang.

The Gang’s scheduled opponent, Panda Express, had forfeited only minutes before. Moe and five other sophomores, who had not planned to play together, volunteered to play. The six adopted the name Panda Express.

Proving that size doesn’t always matter, the vertically inferior sophomores won 2-0. Panda Express frustrated the Click Clack Gang with quick dodging and soft hands, managing to corral the hard balls thrown by their opponent.

“We felt comfortable, felt we would probably beat them,” Click Clack Gang member Roy Abousambra said. “They were small and could dodge and catch. … I thought we should have stayed back and caught as well , but for some reason, no one wanted to and kept throwing.”

The game was easily the most intense of the day, as part of the stadium rang with “Panda Express” chants from the crowd.

For Roy, it was a disappointing end for the Click Clack Gang.

“It feels bad,” Roy said. “I’m a big-time player, I’ve always been first and I’m not used to losing. … It sucked.”

Roy blamed a lack of team chemistry and injuries for the team’s quick exit. Senior Ray Mataele, who was on the team last year, could not play because of a broken hand. In adddition, sophomore Daniel Eaton played through a sprained ankle.

Regardless of any injuries the Click Clack Gang endured, Panda Express has plenty to cheer about.

“We can go pretty far, anything is possible,” Moe said.

The heavy favorite Click Clack Gang was defeated by a sophomore group assembled minutes before play.