Shag advances to Rocball finals

After coming from behind to win the first game, and holding off a fierce student rally in the second, Shag eked past the Marianas High School All-Stars yesterday afternoon to advance to the championships of the World Organized Rocball Interscholastic and Community League.

Shag entered the air-conditioned comforts of the MHS gymnasium with a two-set advantage, a 32-18 lead, and the swagger of a champion, but left with more of a stagger—having barely survived the Dolphin onslaught in the later sets, and another sudden death O-kon.

With the score tied at a point apiece, the MHS All-Stars returned from their restful weekend break to overwhelm Shag 15-7 in the third set. The overall score had the All-Stars trailing 39-33 heading into the fourth and final set, and all that Shag had to do was to win the fourth set and finish with more than a 3-point advantage overall.

The Dolphins had other plans, as the students matriculated a 20-17 win over the regular season runner-ups to force O-kon. The teams had been down this road before in the first game, but this time around it was the All-Stars that needed to win two O-kon sets, while Shag needed only one.

The players of both teams were intently focused on the prize, and the advantage changed hands many times. At one point the All-Stars were ahead 8-7 before surrendering the roc. Then it was Shag that had a chance to end the game at 9-8, but they failed as well.

The final score came off a flurry of bumps, sets, spikes, and a quality dig that could have went either way. Leading 9-8, Shag served the roc to the Dolphins, who intern passed it once and returned it.

The pace was quickening as the cagey veterans passed the ball back over the net to the students. The tempo began to rise further as the kee passed the roc to the frontline, where it was followed by spike of monstrous proportions.

As the roc sped toward the blue surface, the All-Stars became elated—and were it not for a diving left hand, they would have made the sideout. Instead, a Shag frontliner got a piece of the roc, and another came to follow with a pass before a third slammed the ball home for the 10-8 O-kon victory.

Overall, the Shag scored three aces, two xunks, nine kees and two goals, compared to four aces, 14 kees, and a goal by the All-Stars.

The MHS All-Stars also had the game’s standout, as Kaycee Rengaelar was named the heavy hitter, scoring four kees and a goal to lead his team in the victory with 11 points.

Shag earned the opportunity to challenge the undefeated Ghasias Brothers in the championship, and though the finals have yet to be scheduled, the top two teams have had a standing date for the big dance all season long.