Homecoming Week Day 3: Capture the Flag

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

   Someone had blundered.

   Theirs not to make reply,

   Theirs not to reason why,

   Theirs but to do and die.

   Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

 

On Day Three of Homecoming Week competitions, the upperclassmen, outnumbered by the sophomores, faced an uphill battle to win capture the flag, but, luckily for them, near-impossible challenges are the bread and butter of IMSA life (just ask any senior about college apps). The games began with an early victory for the upperclassmen when Garrett Sneddon (’24) captured the sophs’ flag, but the sophs were eventually able to take all three flags, possibly due to the incompetence of flag guard Stephen Walsh, (’24) who was too slow to catch the fleet-footed sophs. In a different kind of sophomore rush, dozens of sophs descended on the flag zone before they could be tagged. While the guards, such as Kavin Venkat (’25) and David Weng (’25), were able to catch most of the sophs, and quick upperclassmen like Winston Mattson (’24) and Andrew Katson (’25) kept the perimeter safe, their flags were ultimately stolen.

 

 

With the final game deciding who would win, the upperclassmen and sophs both banded together and threw everything they had at each other. Soon, the upperclassmen’s flag zone was filled with sophs yet again, and upperclassmen like Logan Nelson (’24) were captured by the sophs. The battle continued as both sides fought tooth and nail for dominance, but the game finally ended when upperclassmen made off with the sophs’ flags. Once the soph-upperclassmen game was done, the classes put aside their differences and played a sleeves vs. no sleeves game of capture the flag.

 

 

The battle was over, but the war still continues as the classes face off against each other in senseless, volleyball, and pep rally over the next two days. No one knows who’ll win, but fate, dedication, and possibly generous CAB “donations” to offset the proposed defunding will all play a part as homecoming week goes on.