Moose Madness 2014

A rivalry with a lot of heart.

Once again the rivalry between the Bonners Ferry Badgers and the Sandpoint Bulldogs came to a head at the annual Moose Madness event held last month at the Bonners Ferry High School. And if you didn't get to the event early, you were left standing on one end or the other, as the bleachers were completely full of faithful locals cheering for their high school.

Each school brought out the heavy artillery, with bands in the stands to amp up the crowd and provide a great 'battle of the bands' competition all night long. The first event of the night was the girls’ varsity basketball team. The girls took to the court and looked strong right from the beginning, even though their shot making during the first period of play was a bit lackluster. This didn't stop the crowd from cheering at every opportunity as well as responding to the chiding from the red-clad Sandpoint Bulldog’s side of the auditorium. The stands were full on both sides, and the event was promising to be just as loud and rowdy as always.

Fueled by the crowd's electric enthusiasm, the BFHS girls sparked up, and the score towards the end of regulation play was tied more often than not. As the buzzer sounded the end of regulation, the score was tied and the game was sent into overtime. The building was shaking from the stomping of feet, blaring of band instruments, and the general raucousness of fans on both sides of the hardwood.

The score went back and forth during the four minute overtime period only to end, once again, in a tie. Again the crowd went wild, and the next four minute period began. Each team gained hard fought points as the prize was in sight. The teams were tied again as the clock ticked down to the final seconds and then the 'buzzer-beater' was taken by a Badger player. The crowd erupted in jubilation as the shot swished through the net and the game was over. Or was it?

The referees determined that the shot was taken after time had run out. Boos ensued, but that didn't undermine the decision as the third overtime period was announced. There were a few more controversial calls towards the end of the game, which left the Bonners Ferry side of the court a bit upset. Regardless, our Badger girls did amazingly well and only lost in the third overtime by two points to the higher rated Sandpoint High School team. GREAT JOB girls!

The evening continued with the typical three-decibel meter readings as the Bulldogs and Badgers took turns shouting as loud as possible to see who could win the competition. Sandpoint won the first, the Badgers the second, and then Sandpoint won the third. But I've heard from sources that they were disqualified for the third due to being on the court and too close to the meter.

In an effort to give back to the communities in which they live, a big part of Moose Madness has always been a competition between both schools to raise money for local charities. It is something the schools take seriously and they always seem to choose charities that especially need help during this time of year.

This year’s charitable donations competition was very close, and a big congratulations goes to all for the efforts in fund raising. The Sandpoint Bulldogs raised just over $10,000 for the Bonner Community Food Bank, while our own Badgers raised over $5,000 for our local Care-N-Share program. These figures resemble the sizes of the respective schools, as Sandpoint is twice the size or more of Bonners Ferry. This is a wonderful effort from all who participated.

For those unfamiliar with the Care-N-Share program, it has been in Bonners Ferry for many years and supports local children with clothing and toys. But it is not just during the holiday season where families can benefit from them, they operate all year long. What a wonderful gift the students at Bonners Ferry High School bestowed upon them and the children of Bonners Ferry this Christmas season.

The Badger boys’ basketball squad finished out the night but lost to a dominating Bulldog team. During halftime the Sandpoint dance team and the Badger dance team and the cheerleading teams entertained the crowd. Sandpoint ended up winning the night much to the disappointment of all Badger fans, but we all are proud of our athletes, cheer squads, dance teams, mascots, coaches, band members and the great fans of Boundary County!

#sports #local #entertainment