Caleb Nickerson
SHAWVILLE Sept. 28, 2017
On Thursday afternoon, students and staff at Pontiac High School (PHS) faced off for a softball game at the Elwood Dale Park in Shawville. Several hundred students milled about the park, taking in the action and celebrating the departure from the classroom.

A junior and senior all-star team of students played three innings each against a squad of their teachers, who were coming off a 15-8 win at last year’s game. Everyone was decked out in the school colours with the teachers in black and their pupils in red.
There was plenty of good-natured heckling on both sides and teacher/umpire Luke Murphy provided solid, impartial refereeing.
Organizer Brenda Davis said that the event is a fun way to drum up school spirit at PHS after their annual PD Day softball tournament, which took place on Sept. 21. This is the second year that the game has taken place and Davis said she wants to keep the tradition going.
“[The students] always want to play more after the tournament,” she said, explaining that the all-star teams are selected based on students’ attitude and performance at the earlier tournament.
Despite a strong effort from both sides, the final score at the end of the game remained tied at 15 all.