 "Photo: Erik Aguilar")
Dodge, duck, dip, dive and drink. These are the five d’s of the Normal Street Dodgeball tournament and the team members and fans abided.
Normal Street Bar in conjunction with mycollegetown.com hosted its fifth dodgeball tournament on Saturday.
Referee Mike Johnson said he’s been affiliated with Normal Street tournaments since they started doing volleyball six years ago and the competition gets better every year.
“There is going to be some hellacious competition,” Johnson said. “These kids are ready to go.”
The tournament boasted eight teams comprised of five players each — three men and two women. A double elimination format was in place.
The first match kicked off at 1 p.m. with team “Balls in Yer Face” competing against “The Single Barrels.” Balls in Yer Face started the day the same way they would conclude it —with a victory.
Balls in Yer Face quickly disposed of The Single Barrels in two short games to take the match.
“We came out and threw some balls at their face and we won,” said Balls in Yer Face team member Bryan James.
On the opposite end of the bracket was team “Just the Tip,” the only team that would pressure Balls in Yer Face.
Just The Tip team member Greg Ahtye said he was confident in his team’s chances for victory.
“We’re going to take it all,” Ahtye said. “We’re drunk, we’re having a good time out here and that’s what it’s all about.”
Just the Tip took its first two matches with ease and was rolling until it ran up against the dodgeball force that is team Balls in Yer Face.
Chris Humphreys, a Balls in Yer Face team member, didn’t take the match lightly, noting all the aspects of the game.
“I feel like the liquor is going to play a factor in this one,” Humphreys said.
Balls in Yer Face took the match after three seesaw games that included diving catches and “Matrix” style dodges by players on both teams.
The game landed Just the Tip in the unenviable position of having to win four matches in a row if they wanted to take home the championship trophy.
Balls in Yer Face breezed into the finals, undefeated. Just the Tip took the long way to the finals, having to beat the “Average Joe’s and Hoe’s” and the “T-Recs” to advance.
In the finals, players on team Balls in Yer Face were well rested having sat for several matches. The same could not be said for Just the Tip.
Members of team Just the Tip were still covered in sweat from their previous match. They may have had an advantage, though, as Balls in Yer Face came out sluggish, losing the first game in the shortest bout of the day.
Just the Tip also took the second game, giving Balls in Yer Face its first match loss and forcing a third and final match between the two dodgeball titans.
As “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor played for the third time during the tournament, Balls in Yer Face took the court and shook off the rust.
Aided by a controversial line call, Balls in Yer Face took the first game forcing Just the Tip back against the wall.
Just the Tip would not roll over, though, taking control of the second game by quickly eliminating four Balls in Yer Face team members.
Outnumbered five to one, Balls in Yer Face team member Dustin Allen fought back, slowly picking off two Just the Tip team members, then making a catch that swung the momentum in Balls in Yer Face’s favor.
Recently revived James of Balls in Yer Face came in and made a difficult catch that awed the spirited crowd. He then made the game-winning hit when the remaining Just the Tip team member couldn’t dodge a sinking throw.
James, Allen, Humphreys, Rachel Gendron and Katie Scott comprised team Balls in Yer Face. For their efforts, they took home a backpack full of swag, $50 and the coveted Normal Street Dodgeball tournament trophies.
High attendance and participation from years past had mycollegetown.com president Adam Spiegel hoping for upward of 20 teams to participate in the annual event.
The tournament is usually held during Labor Day weekend but that was getting too out of hand and the new manager thought this would be a better day. However, due to the low turnout, it may go back to its original date, Spiegel said.
“It’s tradition here in Chico,” he said. “A lot of people get psyched for this.”
Walter Ford can be reached at
wford@theorion.com
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