Mathew Tavares ‘22
Irving-Marshall week, or weekend this year, was action packed and filled with exhilarating competition and school spirit. Even limited by COVID-19, Mercersburg managed to pull off a fantastic weekend.
The events kicked off with the swimming competition on Friday night. Marshall girls and boys were both killing the swimming heats, putting Irving in a tough hole early on in the meet. Even with incredible diving from the Irving Society, it was not enough to keep Marshall from leading 200-0 by the end!
Basketball, a favorite of Marshall vice-president Kate Prentiss, took place on Saturday. Irving began the day strong with a win in both JV girls and boys, but Marshall dominated the varsity girls game. The varsity boys game was tied up after four quarters and overtime was not enough to decide a winner, forcing the societies to split the points and leaving the score at 350-150 with Marshall leading.
On Saturday afternoon, Irving defeated Marshall in both JV boys and girls dodgeball games. Marshall was able to steal a win in the varsity girls game, but Irving won big in varsity boys, making the score 400-250 Marshall leading.
Volleyball, a favorite of many students, was played on Sunday morning. Though this event may be popular with members of both societies, Marshall ended up on top in both varsity games as well as in JV girls, but Irving was able to steal a win in JV boys. The Marshall victories furthered their lead, making the score 650-300.
On Monday morning, students competed in a variety of games like Mario Cart, checkers, and even Just Dance. The points were divided pretty evenly with Marshall earning a total of 125 and Irving earning 100, leaving the score with Marshall ahead 775-400.
The last event before Declamation was the soccer game which had been postponed after a rainstorm on Sunday afternoon. Irving won the girls’ competition when the game ended in penalty kicks, while Marshall won the boys’ game, finishing the game one to zero. The score was 875-500 with Marshall still in the lead.
Declamation featured amazing pieces from both societies. According to Jolie Viener ‘21, Amelia Page ‘21 had a “fantastic piece that was funny and well delivered.” Osasogie Iyoha ‘22 said, “Aden McCracken ‘21 had a wonderful and moving piece.” So much so that Iyoha thought Irving was going to sweep Declamation. However, this was not the case as Clara Getty claimed the top award, with Finn Sipes ‘22 taking second, and Aden McCracken ‘21 third. The Irving Declaimers were collectively awarded the team prize leaving the score at the end of the week as Marshall 1175 to Irving’s 900. This win secured Marshall’s sixth consecutive and tied the record for the longest streak.
Madi Norris ‘21, president of the Irving Society, said, “I am so unbelievably proud of everything everyone contributed and fought for. I’m so thankful for everyone’s dedication in participating, and I hope next year we are able to get more spectators than ever for all the events.”
Ryan Bland ‘21, president of the Marshall Society said, “Although winning was fantastic, the participation and spirit surrounding Irving-Marshall Week was what I enjoyed most about this year’s competitions. Despite many changes, both societies fought their hardest over the three days of events, and as always, all ten Declaimers put on a performance that amazed the entire school. Overall, I’m so happy that my final Irving-Marshall Week was a success and that this tradition could live on even during a pandemic.”