Campolindo is once again hosting its own March Madness tournament. The tournament starts in March and is played in the gym. The NCAA March Madness tournament begins on March 18, about the same time the Campo tournament is held. Students participate in the tournament, and some teachers do as well. Teams consist of three players and cannot have more than one varsity basketball player. Those who are not playing can watch from the sidelines. Senior ASB President Alex Bruno said, “It’s a top three event at Campo, in my opinion.”
The tournament has thirty-two teams, which are reduced to sixteen after the first round. Every team has a creative name, but some decide to use the same name again. Once leadership creates the bracket, teams know who their first opponent is.
The reigning champion, “Late Night Grubbin,” is looking to win the tournament for a second straight year. The team consists of seniors Ren Marchetti, Hayden O’Hare, and Kiumars Koopah. O’Hare said, “The strategy is Kiumars and I are gonna bring the physicality… You get Ren Marchetti to throw up some three bombs, and they’re going in.” The pressure is on for the “Late-Night Grubbin” since other teams want to come for their ring. However, O’Hare is not worried about the competition. He said, “There’s been a lot of talk about pressure because we’re the defending champs, but if you think about it this way, we’re basically UCONN last year. We won the championship. We have some pressure on us, but it’s not gonna stop us from taking it home again.”
The defending champions do have some competition from other teams. One of the teachers on the team is Coach James Williams, the varsity basketball coach. The “All-Mighty Blue Devils” consist of senior Luke Devine and sophomore Julian Gandhi alongside Coach Williams. Williams recruited Devine, and then Devine recruited Gandhi. Devine said, “ [Williams] is a sharpshooter, so we just rely on him to make our threes. Devin saw Late-Night Grubbin as his toughest opponent. Gandhi said, “We’re not worried about anyone. Gandhi also said what he is most excited about in the tournament is “winning.”
Junior Luke McLeod was one of the students from leadership who organized the event last year. He is doing it again this year. He said, “We had a lot of fun last year, and it’s March, so it’s raining and there are bad vibes. The March Madness tournament always brings good vibes to the school, so I like it.” Not everyone who plays in the tournament is on a basketball team. Bruno said, “I play in the tournament, and I think it’s just as fun. I don’t play basketball.”
The tournament is not only for players. Anybody can go to the gym during lunch and watch the tournament. “It’s super fun. We get in the mic, and we get the music going. Everyone packs the gym in at lunch, so if you wanna go watch some entertaining sport, it’s fun,” said McLeod, who was part of the “Bron Wade and Bosh” team.
For those who decide to sign up and play, the price for the winners are rings and JBL speakers. Last year, the “Late Night Grubbin” players wore their rings to their Prom. Bruno said, “I think the biggest prize is that you won a tournament, and it’s pretty much the whole school there.”
