Let the 'Moose Madness' begin
SANDPOINT — Red and Blue will be the colors du jour, lungs will be burning from screaming in a packed gymnasium, team spirit will be at a fever pitch, painted moose antlers will be awarded and a local charity will benefit.
Welcome to the first-ever Moose Madness Spirit Basketball games between regional rivals Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry Saturday night at Bonners Ferry High School. Good basketball will be just part of the festivities as a host of spirit contests between the Bulldogs and Badgers will be judged, a winner named, and if event organizers have their wish, an annual tradition started.
“The goal is to focus on sportsmanship and competition, and not so much just the games,” described Sandpoint athletic director Cheryl Klein, adding it will be similar to events like Fight for the Fish, a popular game between rivals Coeur d’Alene and Lake City. “Almost all other schools have something like this and we don’t. In my experience, when we play Bonners Ferry we get our biggest crowds, and that has a lot to do with the history.”
The schools will wage a friendly battle in spirit contests including acheerleader competition, a dance team competition, a battle of the bands, best sportsmanship, a poster contest, cheer intensity (measured by a decibel meter), a moose calling contest, and even a blindfolded moose drawing contest.
The gymnasium will be split in half, and each side will be judged on which boasts the most team color. Bonners Ferry has even printed up 200 blue and white shirts emblazoned with the words “Welcome to the Badger Den.”
Oh yeah, there will also be two intense basketball games, both of which figure to be tightly contested.
Because the games are a fundraiser for Head Start, no passes will be honored. Admission is $5. Children under 6 and senior citizens will be admitted free. Klein is hoping to pre-sell many of the 400 plus seats allotted to Sandpoint. Tickets can be purchased at SHS during school hours today through Friday.
Next year the contest will be held at SHS, and it’s hoped that Moose Madness will then become an annual event.
“We just wanted to do something fun and get school spirit up at both schools,” said Ted Reynolds, assistant principal and athletic director for Bonners Ferry.
The moose antlers were donated by Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said Greg Johnson, senior conservation officer for the agency in Boundary County. Johnson obtained the antlers from the agency’s storage facility in Coeur d’Alene.
Sandpoint painted one antler, and Bonners Ferry painted the other, each in their school’s color. They were then mounted onto a trophy, which will be awarded — for a year — to the winning school.
Each school appointed three judges to determine a winner based on the spirit displayed throughout the night. A winner will be named at half time of the second game, and a proceeds check will be awarded to Head Start.
The girls game tips off at 6 p.m., and the boys game is slated for 7:30.