After a three year hiatus, the student versus teacher basketball game is making its comeback tomorrow in the main gym during sixth and seventh period to raise money for the basketball booster club. 

This will be the first student-teacher basketball game held since 2019. Ticket sales began on Monday and will continue through tomorrow, or until tickets sell out. Tickets are sold during lunch for $3. 

“You have to have a ticket before you go into sixth period,” said Deb Harris, head women’s basketball coach and assistant athletic campus coordinator. “I highly anticipate that [having extra] will not be an issue because we always run out of tickets. So don’t wait til the last minute.” 

Students must report to their sixth period and present their official yellow ticket to attend the game. This is the only way students can receive an excused absence for this event. Outside family and friends are welcome to join as long as they have a ticket to show at the door. 

“You will go to your sixth period, and we will have all the sixth period teachers print out their rosters,” Harris said. “You show them your yellow ticket, they’re going to highlight your name on the roster, and then they’re going to turn that roster into me.”

The basketball organization began planning the game at the start of the school year. The event will include teachers and students from various departments, organizations, classes and clubs. 

“The other thing that’s kind of cool in this is that Ms. Vinson’s security team are involved in this process too,” Harris said. “They’ve been working behind the scenes, they’ll be helping everybody make sure that they get there. There’s a lot of people that are involved in a lot of behind the scenes stuff that’s been going on.” 

The school’s varsity boys and girls basketball teams will play on a co-ed team together against the teachers. It is senior Adaugo Okpala’s first time participating in the game.  

“I’m actually kind of excited and happy to play my senior year, which is my last,” Okpala said. 

The varsity basketball teams have been preparing during their normal practice times at school. The teachers have not held a practice altogether yet. Digital interactive media teacher, MHS1 advisor and varsity basketball alumnus Curtis Christian is the coach of the teacher’s team. 

“The teachers are always prepared,” Christian said. “We all have our own independent way [of preparing], if you’re someone that’s gonna be competitive in it. I’ve talked to several teachers that have been going to the gym. Other teachers are just kind of mentally preparing because they’re there for the entertainment.”

The event includes the basketball game, a halftime performance and other surprise activities hosted by the teachers. 

“We want to give our staff an opportunity to present themselves in a different light than what the student body normally sees,” Harris said. “It also serves, obviously, as a fundraiser for the boys and girls basketball program. It’s just an opportunity for us to show you we are human beings, we’re normal people.”

Editor’s note: Additional reporting on this story was provided by Ruth Kiija.