Riverbank High’s Winter Homecoming activities took center stage last week with a series of dodge ball games on Thursday evening.

The boys of the RHS student body split up into teams at the old Bruins Gym to hit, and be hit, by one (or more) of the four balls in play for each game. The point of the game was to hit a player on the other team, knocking him out of the game and over to the sideline.

If the ball hit you, you were out. If you were able to catch it, the player who threw it was out and a player from your team was able to return to the court. If you were able to block it with a held ball, without dropping it, you were safe.

Those knocked out lined up against the far wall on their own end of the court, waiting in order to return to the game. As each game progressed, the crowd on the court got smaller and those hugging the walls, waiting, got larger, until there was no one left standing on one team.

The key to survival in the game seemed to be the ability to see balls coming from more than one direction at a time.

To observers unfamiliar with the students on the team, it appeared as if they were equally matched, but one team, seeming to have more of the younger players, was short a few players, so members of the coaching staff joined in to help even the squads.

Players seemed to take delight in aiming specifically for the coaches, even at one point being dared by principal Dr. Sean Richey to take a shot at him. Luckily, he didn’t stay on the court for long.

The teams played about five games in the hour and a half they spent, then the gym was darkened to watch a movie.

The Bruin Boosters had refreshments available for purchase as part of the festivities as well.