Speedball was introduced to Poolesville High School by Fred Swick in the 1980’s as a sport to be played in gym class. It became so popular that it was decided to be played in tournament style during lunch in the early 2000s. When the tournament started, there was a $20 fee to enter the tournament and a $1 fee to watch the games. Since the games have become a tournament, players and fans can participate for free. The referees have been Mr. Lang and Mr. Orsini.

This year’s speedball tournament began with 19 teams in play for the title, with the two top-ranked teams from the previous year returning, Meow and Chill On Me. Chill On Me lost to the sophomore-dominated team, The Plastics, in a penalty kick shootout that ended 1-0 with the winning goal scored by sophomore Garrett Simons. With the semi-finals and finals on Nov 17th, four teams remain: Meow, Certified Munches, The Plastics, and Bubble Guppies. Meow faced Certified Munches first, and The Plastics and Bubble Guppies followed. 

Meow and Certified Munches played first in the semifinals. Certified Munches only scored one goal and Meow took the win with a final score of 4-1 taking them to the finals. In the next game, The Plastics won over the Bubble Guppies, finishing with a score of 5-0. In the finals between Meow and The Plastics, The Plastics were able to get out to a quick 1-0 lead, but Meow tied it up within the next minute. After that, Meow held The Plastics off to finish the game winning 3-1. Meow is the 2023 Fall Speedball champion, and they are eager to play again in the spring tournament. 

Speedball has shown to be very popular with the fans too, with the gym filling up every day of the tournament, and students running to get a good seat.