EPIC SHOWDOWN
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 months AGO
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | November 19, 2022 1:07 AM
POST FALLS — Music blared from the sound system.
Sweat dripped from headbands.
At the blow of a whistle, the showdown began.
Post Falls Parks and Recreation's 14th annual Wild Turkey Dodgeball Tournament proved to be an epic battle Friday night as sneakers squeaked and dodgeballs pounded walls, floors and bodies in the Mullan Trail Elementary School gym.
First-timers and returning champs kept the intensity cranked to 11 as they pummeled their opponents and danced around colorful projectiles.
"I won this in 2015 and played again in 2016," C.J. Ketron said between taking swigs off his water bottle. "Now I am much more out of shape."
Maximillian Noll of Coeur d'Alene has played in the tournament for several years and carries on a family tradition.
"It's truly a blast," said Noll, who played on the Nolld Over team. "My father, he started this five years ago. We used to do it as a family, but my parents moved."
The dodgeball tournament provided an evening for adults to reminisce about playing the game as children. Noll said one of his dodgeball teammates was actually a flag football mate.
"It brings me back to my elementary school days, playing in the school, playing in gym class," Noll said. "Just having fun and bringing friends together. It's just fun times to smash each other in the face."
Nine teams of amateur dodgeball enthusiasts each played four games, with winners facing off through the final rounds as others fell out of favor.
Team Daj Mabal arrived in neon 1980s glory, with big hair and big dodgeball dreams.
First-time player Mackenzie Hass, with a quintessential side ponytail to complete her bright '80s outfit, said her husband tricked her into dressing up.
"I thought we were playing in a league, and he's like, 'No, it's a four-hour tournament and you have to dress up,'" she said, grinning.
Tricky husband or no, she and her crew were excited to play.
"It's a bunch of friends going together," she said. "We're like kids again."
The players vied for a $100 gift card to Embers by the Green, a pumpkin pie and an apple pie. The best-dressed team earned a $50 gift card to Embers by the Green, and bragging rights for extreme awesomeness.
"We've got a lot of teams that have been doing it the last four times, possibly even further back,” said tournament coordinator Carter Casidy of Post Falls Parks and Recreation. "It's definitely a lot of fun. It's one of my favorite events to put on."
Tournament winners and results are expected to be announced in The Press early next week.
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