History teacher Witche Exilhomme attempts a free throw. 
Gym teacher Dan Jurkowski dribbles around a player on the student team. 
Senior basketball captain Ryan Dalencour shoots a free throw during the game. 
Junior Peyton Carron dribbles through the opposition. 
A student attempts a half-court shot to fundraise for the Class of 2022. 
History teacher Johnathan Copithorne looks to pass the ball to an outside player. 
Senior Ronaldo Nguyen defends Dan Jurkowski. 
The students and faculty come together after the game to take a group photo.
All photos taken by Lulu Harding.
Lulu Harding also contributed to this article.
This year, the teachers won the first student vs faculty basketball tournament held in two years by a narrow two points, with the final score being 80-78.
With no trips planned for the Tornado Travelers Club, the group that usually hosts the tournament, the senior class willingly took over the event. They were able to raise around $500 to go towards prom for their endeavors.
The 12 teachers, including Witche Exilhomme, Daniel Jurkowski, Jonathan Copithorne, Caitlin Quinn, John Frigo and seven others, went into the game as the underdogs. “I think the students always underestimate the staff. They think that we are old and out of shape, so they are always a little surprised when we come in and can still play a little bit,” remarked Holland House Counselor Caitlin Quinn. Quinn has played in this annual game every year since she started working at Malden High, and she was excited when the game finally came back after being put on hold for two years due to Covid-19.
Quinn attributes their win to the fans and spectators who she says are “really into it” and “bring a lot of energy into the game, which is just what the teachers need.”
Despite their loss, the students playing in the game managed to maintain an uplifting attitude. To participate in the Student vs. Faculty basketball game, students are required to be a part of one of Malden High’s basketball teams. Freshman Aiden Brett, who plays on the boy’s basketball JV team, thought that the game went well overall and was fun to be a part of. “The student teammates were great and I loved the atmosphere… Everyone did great and had a lot of fun.” Quinn also conveyed this feeling, stating that she was “really excited that it came back…it is always a lot of fun.”
Brett confesses to some mistakes made by the students’ team. He stated how the team could have played a little better overall, improving on things such as passing the ball and getting teammates the open shot more often. “I forced some shots up that weren’t needed, and I made some offensive mistakes as well.”
With this being said, the game was still really enjoyable for the students, faculty and spectators, especially with the extremely close final score. The players on both sides seem to be in agreement that they cannot wait until next year’s game–and who knows, maybe the students will pull ahead next time.
