This year’s highly anticipated Tug competition came with a twist, as it took place on Tuesday instead of the usual Wednesday due to a delay in the arrival of the Quiz Bowl buzzers. Despite the schedule change, the event ran smoothly. The matchups started with the seniors against freshmen and sophomores against juniors, followed by faceoffs between the winners and losers from each match. In the end, the seniors showcased their strength by winning both the A and B brackets, increasing their lead and holding on to the first place Spirit Week spot.
The event kicked off with the seniors’ A team opposing the freshmen’s A team, and the match was over almost as quickly as it began. The seniors wasted no time in overpowering the freshmen, securing their spot in the finals. Up next were the senior and freshman B teams competing against each other, and while the freshmen put up more of a fight, they still ended up losing to the seniors in a matter of moments.
Freshman B team participant Zahra Mammadova ’28 said that the team did “a lot better than expected against the senior B team, and we’re so ready to win next year!” Mammadova was also very grateful for “the juniors because they gave us a lot of support during tug, and a lot of us were very upset [that the juniors] didn’t win.”
Next, the A teams of the juniors and sophomores faced off in one of the more competitive matches of the day. The sophomores held their ground for a considerable amount of time; however, despite their efforts, they ultimately fell to the juniors, securing the juniors’ spot in the finals against the seniors.
After their win, junior Max Steward ’26 expressed his excitement and shared, “Winning felt good because that meant we were one step closer to the finale, and maybe even one step closer to winning the whole thing for our grade.”
The competition continued with the juniors’ and sophomores’ B teams facing off, mirroring the intensity of the previous junior vs. sophomore match. Much like their A team counterparts, the sophomores’ B team lost to the juniors, granting the juniors another spot in the Tug finale.
The next match featured the freshmen A team against the sophomore A team, and once again, the freshmen faced a swift defeat. Similarly, the freshmen’s B team was also unable to secure a win against the s. This loss officially placed the freshmen in last place for Tug, leaving the grade with only 25 points overall. Meanwhile, the sophomores gained 50 points from their A and B team victories, earning them a third-place position in Tug.
Next up came the A team finals, featuring the highly anticipated junior vs. senior matchup. The match was a long and intense battle between the two grades, with both sides giving it their all. In the end, the seniors triumphed, and their victory brought a wave of excitement as they celebrated their win.
Senior Miles Wilkins ’25 was especially excited, saying, “Disregarding Airband and Hallway, Tug is the biggest event celebrated by [the class of 2025], so rising to the occasion and resulting in success was awesome.”
Next up was the B team finale, where both grades faced off in another long-awaited match. The competition was fairly evenly matched and showcased impressive strength and determination from both teams. However, much like their A team counterparts, the seniors won again, securing their victory in the B division.
As the event came to a close, Sarah Capparelli ‘26, a spectator who watched the competition unfold, shared her thoughts.
“Even though we didn’t win like we were hoping for, I’m not upset at all because both teams put up a really good fight, and there isn’t much more we can do,” she said.
Overall, the seniors gained 100 points from both their wins, while the junior class gained 75 points from their second-place finishes.
After Tug, the seniors remain in first place with 275 points, and the juniors hold onto their second place spot with 243.75 points. The freshmen stood in third with 118.75 points, while the sophomores trailed closely behind with 112.5 points.
