Teacher vs. Teacher

It was an evening of family fun at the Bayport-Blue Point Booster Club's annual faculty basketball game last Friday evening when teachers took to the court while their students shouted out the game plan and made calls against them.

For the past 11 years the Booster Club has held this fundraiser to support and promote sports in .  Teachers from the district volunteered their time to play in the basketball game.  They entertained the crowd, comprised mostly of their students.

Bob Falkenburgh organized the faculty basketball game with the hard work of many other Booster Club members and the support of businesses in town.  He said, "The local businesses are amazing.  We knock on the same doors every year and they always come through for us."

Before the start of the game, Bayport-Blue Point students performed a cappella.  Megan Gallagher did "America the Beautiful" and Anthony Boucher sang "Star Spangled Banner."

Bayport-Blue Point Youth Football Cheerleaders took the court, shaking their blue and gold pom poms.  The young girls did their routine and their spirit was infectious.  Christina Carroll, one of the cheerleading coaches said, "The girls are very excited and they made up new cheers for this game."

Faculty was broken up into a Blue Team and a Gold Team with nine players on each team.  Students served as the coaches and referees for the game. The fast moving basketball game went into overtime with Gold Team headed up by Doug Monsell and Rich Campisi winning 67 to 60 over Tim Hearney's (high school principal) Blue Team.

Chris Karpi, student coach, was excited to turn the tables on his teachers. "It will be fun telling the teachers what to do," he said.  Coaches Mike Falkenburgh and James Iorio were excited to start the game.  It was their third year coaching the Faculty Basketball game.

"It's intense getting to make calls on my teachers, but I like it," said student referee Adam Berlin.

Even though it is the only time he plays basketball, middle school social studies teacher Jim Molinari looks forward to the game every year.  "I like being a part of this event that brings the community and teachers together."

Matt McMullan, English department chair, has played in every faculty game for the past 11 years.  He likes to participate to show support of the Bayport-Blue Point sports teams.

In the bleachers, Gabrielle Postiglione was there with her friends to cheer on their teachers and support another friend who was the referee.  "I come every year, since I was in elementary school," she said.

There were 37 auction prizes donated by local businesses and a 50/50 raffle. Raffle tickets for a half time pizza shoot out were a new addition this year.  The lucky winners were able to shoot baskets to win one of ten pizzas donated by a local pizzeria.