This year’s long-awaited Tug competition was the most intense in years, with each match taking longer than before.
The event began as normal, with the seniors going against the ninth graders and the juniors against the sophomores, followed by faceoffs between the winners and losers from each match.
The rules were simple: 13 people per team, and the grade whose team pulls the red string tied in the middle of the rope to their side wins. In the end, the seniors’ Team A and the juniors’ Team B showed off their strength, both earning 50 points and first place, respectively.
Before the event, each grade came out with its own cheers and pre-game rituals. The seniors ran out with their flag and a speaker loudly playing music. The juniors prepared their strategies and raised their energy.
The sophomores huddled and cheered, “We are losing!” because they are currently in last place.
The ninth graders stayed in a corner, putting on their cleats and gloves, watching the other grades.
The event kicked off with a match between the seniors’ and the ninth graders’ Team B, with a win from the seniors; however, after the win, the match had to be rerun because of contestants crossing the red line of tape while holding onto the rope. Even after the difficulties, the seniors’ Team B managed to win again.
Then, it was the ninth grade’s Team A versus the seniors’ Team A, where the ninth graders put up a good fight despite being up against an older class. However, due to their experience and strength, the seniors’ victory was unsurprising to many.
Dean Simpson ’26, a senior watching the match, said that he was “expecting this win.” He explained that he was surprised that seniors hadn’t won last year, but he was glad they “locked in” this year.
Next up were the sophomores’ Team B vs the juniors’ Team B, marking the beginning of the more intense matches. The sophomores put up a fight against the juniors, delaying their loss by approximately 90 seconds.
Sophomore Team B participant Zahra Mammadova ’28 said, “We were already expecting to lose because we went up against them last year and it was really hard … But I’m glad because we gave it our all, and that’s what matters most.”
While Team B juniors were celebrating their win, Team B juniors and the Team B sophomores made their way onto the field. This was yet another intense match, as both teams were fighting for the win. However, this match also ended in a win for the juniors.
Juniors’ Team A win against the sophomores’ Team A. Video by Keva Elie ’26.
Team B participant Wynne Ay ’27 said, “I’m super proud of us for winning against the sophomores.”
It was finally time for the faceoffs of the two losing teams: the sophomores’ Team A, and the ninth grade’s Team A. The crowd was loud, and the sophomores’ spirit was initially high, but that spirit quickly died after the sophomores lost to the ninth graders, leaving many people disappointed and upset.
Bird’s-eye view of the sophomores’ Team A (left) and freshmens’ Team A (right) tug competition. Drone footage by Ayaan Verma ’29.
When asked about her thoughts on Tug halfway through the game, Anshi Reddy ’28 said that she was feeling “not great because [the sophomores] just lost. Twice.”
Sharing similar thoughts, Simpson said, “I felt bad for them. I was expecting them to do really well because it’s a ninth-grade team, but I guess I was wrong.”
Next up was the ninth grade’s Team A versus the sophomores’ Team A. After their loss, sophomores were jumping and cheering on their class to get their spirits high and ensure a win. They were mistaken yet again because, after a long match, the ninth graders won again, giving the Class of 2028 fourth place overall.
Team A participant Nolan Dillon ’29 expressed his excitement, saying, “I’m so glad we ended up beating them. You know, it was a great experience, and I would love to do it again.”
Lastly, it was time for the grand finale. As the juniors’ Team B and the seniors’ Team B made their way up to the rope, the cheering began, with the sophomores cheering for the seniors and the ninth graders cheering for the juniors. The juniors and seniors were in a long match, which ended in the juniors claiming victory.
Charlotte Brown ’27 said she felt great after her grade won.
“I was hoping to beat the seniors, I mean, that was an amazing job from all of our girls. We absolutely crushed them,” Brown said. “We are just amazing, and that’s why we won.”
However, instead of dwelling on the loss, the seniors’ Team A quickly moved onto the field. This match was between the juniors’ Team A and the seniors’ Team A. With lots of noise and chaos, this match ended with the senior boys claiming victory.
After lots of cheering and celebrations, Bodhi Vance-Harris ’26 said, “I feel great … You know, we got second place last year, the seniors were really strong last year, but this was our chance and we came up on top.”