By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — March 31, 2006 – Hundreds of fans packed the bleachers of the Liberty High School gymnasium on Monday night.
Those 525 fans cheered and laughed often as they watched three donkey basketball games. In the first contest of the evening, the Liberty Elementary School faculty and staff team squared off against the Liberty Middle School faculty and staff squad. The second game pitted the Liberty High School’s faculty team against the coaches of the school’s athletic teams. At the end of the evening, the school’s seniors competed against the juniors.
Organizers sold all 525 tickets for the games. Proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit the Liberty Indian Booster Club. The money raised from the evening’s concession stand sales will benefit the school’s Athletes Against Substance Abuse group.
In the opening contest, the Liberty Middle School team defeated the Liberty Elementary School team, 6-4. The Coaches edged the Faculty, 8-6, in the second game.
The outcome of the final game could not be decided during the 10 minutes of regulation play. The seniors and juniors were tied 10-10, so referee David Shaw of Shaw Brothers Donkey Ball Company of Sayre, Pa. told the players that the first team to score in overtime would prevail.
Shortly after the extra stanza began, Trevor Bertholf scored inside the lane to give the Class of 2007 a 12-10 victory over the Class of 2006.
Members of the LES faculty and staff team included: Katie Chakar, Cindy Ellmauer, John Frunzi, Kim Heinle, Bambi Meadow, Ron Schulte and Keith Shaddock.
Members of the LMS faculty and staff team included: Allison Burns, Sue Huggler, Dr. Philip Olsen, John Wells and Kort Wheeler.
Among those playing for the LHS faculty team were Theresa Couitt, Kevin Ferguson, Mike Hazelnis, Sheri Mitterwager and Cindy Nolan.
Among those competing for the LHS coaches team were Julie Babson, Ryan Bowers, Tim Bult, Todd Cook, Carl Graham, Ashlea Prouty, Adam Ramirez, Carpio Ramos, Debbie Simpson, Dave Slater and Hazel Yaun.
The starting five players for the Class of 2006 team were Mike Ponce, Elizabeth Stolow, Prinali Trivedi, Joe Valentin and Trina Williams.
The starters for the Class of 2007 team were Troy Bertholf, Scott Hamlin, Val LaGattuta, Amerynth Sichel and Jeff Simpson.