From lots of trash talk leading up to the game, both the staff and the seniors thought their respective team could win the annual Swofford game.

However, once the game started, the staff realized they had it in the bag. Led by Mr. Luedecke and Mr. Sodemann, the staff jumped out to a 27-8 lead at halftime and ended up with a 59-28 victory on April 7 during an all-school assembly. The staff has won all eight years the game has been played at Liberty. The game was postponed 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

“To be honest, I actually didn’t think we were going to win. Luedecke and Sodemann are too good. But I just thought playing in the game would be fun since I played basketball freshman year,” senior Cameron Wright said. 

The Scott Swofford game is a way to raise money for two senior athlete scholarships at each high school. It is also a way to help remember and honor Scott Swofford, teacher and coach at Holt and Timberland High School, and even help honor and recognize the senior class. 

From the beginning of the first half, the staff was already winning 27-6, with Luedecke being the leading scorer for the staff. Luedecke has been playing on the staff’s team for about seven years, in which he has carried the team to victory each year. 

“It feels good to win but it’s also expected. We have never lost and it will continue to stay like that,” Mr. Luedecke said. 

During halftime, information was given from the junior class officers about prom and Ms. Farrelly and her dancing squad were tearing up the dance floor. Charity Edney, one of the main senior dancers, says she loved dancing up against the teachers for fun one last time.

Once halftime was over, the game was back on. From senior Dontrel Mitchell limping on the court to stay in the game to Ross (the trainer) snatching the ball from Morgan Struttmann, the game’s energy just kept going up.

Mr. LaBrot, the senior team’s head basketball coach, reminds them throughout the game to keep going. But, unfortunately, after lots of missed shots and bad trash talk from the seniors, they only ended up getting a total of 28 points.