By: Brad Boozer
The Crescent Tiger Throwdown has been a tradition between Holy Cross and Cabrini for ten years now. The two schools compete for the coveted paddle through games constructed by each school’s student council. Each grade has a game that they play to win points for the overall score of the school. Whichever school wins the most games gets the paddle and bragging rights. Until the next Throwdown.
The throwdown started at 7:00 on Friday, March 15, and as you walked into the gym, you could feel the competitive spirit in the air. The first game, crab kick, was more of an ice breaker and consisted of all students from both HC and Cabrini. Carb kick is game where the students must sit down on the basketball court and kick a large ball, about three feet in diameter, without using their hands. The objective of the game is to kick the ball over the opposing school’s side earning your team a point. The game was best two out of three and each round the students could move closer and closer to each side until eventually being able to cross on to the other school’s side of the court. Holy Cross won the first round, but Cabrini tied the game there after, and it was tied. The next point would decide and both schools were fighting tooth and nail to get the final score. Although it was difficult, Holy Cross pulled through and won the match.
Following Crab kick the eighth graders played an epic game of musical chairs. After each round 4 chairs would be taken out so that the students would truly have to fight for a seat. As the number of students were dwindling down, we were left with 1 Holy Cross eighth grader, 1 Cabrini girl, and 1 chair. The entire student body from each school came down from the bleachers and circled around the court to cheer on their champions. As the music stopped, the gym erupted into cheers and the lone Holy Cross eighth grader, Tyler Robicheaux was sitting in the final chair. It was now 2-0 Holy Cross.
The ninth graders played a game of bump. Bump is a basketball game where the competitors line up behind the free throw line in boy girl order. The first person shoots on the free throw line and if they miss and the person behind them shoots and makes it, then that person is knocked out. 7 consecutive HC boys got out, and Cabrini had a lot more freshman than Holy Cross. Cabrini won by a landslide.
The sophomores played a game of ships and sailors, which is like a game of Simon says but with teams. Senior Ben Young gave the instructions: ships, sailors, captain’s coming, four men rowing, five men eating, and beached whale. If the students did not meet the requirements of each command they would be knocked out of the game. Cabrini also won this event and tied the game 2-2.
The juniors did a relay race where they all put their shoes on the center court. Each school would send a member of their class to find their shoes in the pile in the middle of the court. When they did find their shoes, they had to put them on, tie them, and run back so they could send another student. The Holy Cross juniors won the game and took the lead 3-2 and it came down to the seniors to decide the victor.
The seniors played Get the Bacon, a game where the students of each class are assigned a number and run for a football in the center of the court and bring it back. As a form of defense, when someone picked up the ball, the opposing team could touch them. If they were touched, they would have to stop running. The seniors played until one team reached 10 points. After a hard fought game, Holy Cross brought home the bacon and won the Crescent Tiger Throwdown and the lights were shut off immediately.
Following the throwdown, Longitude 90, a rock band made up of Holy Cross students Brad Boozer, Robert Schexnayder, Evan Autin, and Matt Manzella, started to play. Everyone in the gym came down from the bleachers and crowded the band as they began their show. The band opened up with “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys and played hit after hit until the throw down ended at 10:00. In conclusion, the Throwdown was successful because of amazing coordination and school spirit.