Donkey Basketball Provides Sunday Entertainment

On Sunday, April 28, the Chinook Chapter of the FFA played host to Donkey Sports, Incorporated in the Floyd Bowen Gymnasium for an evening's entertainment with Donkey Basketball. The first game tipped off at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Travelling from Entiat, Washington, Donkey Sports furnished referees, game equipment, animals wearing rubber shoes, and helmets for the protection of the players. The Chinook FFA corralled players to form four teams: Team FFA, Team First Responders, Team School Board/Faculty, and Team FFA Alumni.

The evening's announcer, Kevin Elias welcomed the community and explained the rules before launching into commentary. In the first game, Team FFA, which consisted of the current officers: Madilyn Gruszie (Secretary), Jacob Metcalf (Treasurer), Brockton Elliot (Reporter), Wylee Simenson (Vice President) Falyn Cecrle (Sentinel), and Aislinn Handy (President) took on the First Responders. In order to round out that team, Ashlyn Hofeldt-Parliamentarian for Chinook's FFA Chapter-joined Jason Metcalf, Josh Nordboe, Jen Metcalf, Jade Pleninger, and Jamie Roth.

Serving as Rodeo Clowns and Chief Pooper Scoopers, two additional FFA members, Wacee Simenson and Kenneth Gruszie waited in the wings with a broom in case their services were needed-they weren't.

Aboard High Five, a tall gray donkey, Falyn Cecrle scored the first bucket of the night. After a few sessions up and down the court with players jumping on and off their donkeys and dragging them to get the rebound, Brockton Elliot attempted a backwards shot and scored from atop Pop Rocks. Elliot put on quite a show with his spirited donkey, who was more intent on bucking, kicking up his heels, and tossing his rider than cooperating with commands. On one occasion, the small but feisty donkey appeared to run right out from under Elliot. The crowd found humor in all of the antics of the uncooperative donkeys, as players tugged and cajoled animals who operated from a stubborn streak.

For the First Responders, Jade Pleninger scored the first basket. Her effort was followed later by two points from Jamie Roth and another two from Jason Metcalf. Those field goals enabled the First Responders to win game number one, 6-4.

During the second game, Team School Board/Faculty played Team FFA Alumni. The star in that game was Jesse Shackelford, who racked up 12 points. Lane Schmitt and Scott Henderson each added two apiece to help their team win, 16-5. Other members of the winning team were Emily Scofield, Jacey Crowley, Scott Henderson, and Landen Keeling-a Chinook FFA member who completed that team's numbers.

Scoring for the School Board was Teddy Crowley. Nick Turner also tossed in a three-pointer and played aggressively, but his donkey was less than accommodating. Turner found himself on the floor twice. Additional players for Team School Board/Faculty were Shane Strobe, Karen Billmayer, and Faith Hofman.

In the third game of the night, Team FFA won, 10-2, playing against Team School Board/Faculty. The lone basket was scored by an FFA member riding for the School Board/Faculty, Sterling Bemis, an experienced horsewoman who handled the energetic Pop Rocks with relative ease.

For the final game, the FFA Alumni took on the First Responders, beating them 13-8. Although Jamie Roth scored the first basket in that contest, the FFA Alumni couldn't be stopped. Shackelford tossed in an early two and later hit a three-point shot. Emily Scofield and Lane Schmidt each dropped in a bucket, and Landen Keeling scored four points. On the opposing team, Jade Pleninger added four and Jen Metcalf hit a lay-up.

Whenever the action slowed, the two handlers with Donkey Sports, Caleb Pierce and Cameron Harkness, would tap their sorting sticks to the gym floor at the donkey's heels, exciting the animals into a trot. "We're just trying to keep 'em moving," Pierce stated.

Additional entertainment came when the team setters, who were confined to the circle at half court, would resort to wrestling one another to keep the ball in the hands of their team.

During halftime, the crowd was invited to the floor to pet the donkeys, and Harkness explained that Donkey Sports had been in Gardner on April 27 and would be in Big Timber on April 29. "We've been ping-ponging around the state," he said. "There's no place I'd rather be than travelling. We're just trying to help out a community and raising funds for the kids. Plus, I got to enter a gun raffle."

Harkness bought raffle tickets for a Winchester 300 Weatherby donated to the FFA by Henry Gordon. The winner of that raffle was announced at the FFA Banquet on May 2.

Tickets were also available for three other raffles: a country-themed quilt donated by Trish Gruszie, ten yards of screen gravel delivered within ten miles donated by Pike Construction, and an FFA Basket that included candy, nuts, snack mix, two ratchet straps, a $50.00 gift certificate to Bow and Marrow, and 25 pounds of hamburger. The ground beef was donated by Dustin and Vicki Hofeldt. The winning ticket for the basket, held by Chinook School District's Social Studies Instructor Mike Jones, was drawn at half-time.

The Hofeldts also sold a brisket meal through the high school concession stand. Served with macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies, and lemonade, the meal was another fundraiser for the FFA.

The event brought in a modest crowd. Students in grades K-6 were encouraged to attend by earning a dollar off their entry fee if they brought in a completed coloring page of a donkey holding a basketball.

Next up for the FFA is their local commemoration of FFA Week. To help them celebrate, on Monday, May 6, the Chinook Chapter of the FFA invited students to drive their tractors to school. Britt Powell, Kenneth Gruszie, Jacob Metcalf, Ben Hofeldt, Fletcher Anderson, and Mrs. Friede were some of those who accepted the invitation. Tractors were parked on the south side of the high school as well as in Superintendent Fred Hofman's lot.