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Wechengeni wins as 2005 Rocball season starts
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Posted on Feb 21 2005
Wechengeni posted the first win of the 2005 World Organized Rocball Interscholastic and Community League season, edging Mwaliyas in a double-overtime thriller at the Marianas High School Gymnasium last week.
The two teams were neck and neck until Julius Saito smacked in a goal, propelling Wechengeni to victory.
Mwaliyas got off to a strong start, pounding away in the first set en route to a 13-4 win.
Being in the comfort zone would not last for the Mwaliyas though, as Wechengeni retaliated with a flurry and got back into contention with an impressive 11-2 win in the second set, resulting in a 15-15 tie.
Determined to regain the advantage, Mwaliyas threw everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents, shutting them out with a 13-0 win, and went ahead with a total score of 28-15.
Mwaliyas had to juice-out—win the fourth set to end the match—but failed to do so, as Wechengeni smackers clawed back and kept their hopes alive, winning the fourth, 12-3, to force overtime.
Mwaliyas still had the upper hand, leading 31-27 in the overall tally, and league rules indicate the team leading when the game heads into o-kon—overtime—only needs to win one overtime set, while the other team must win twice. Rocball overtime sets are won by scoring 10 points or a goal.
Wechengeni won the first overtime set 11-6. They trailed, 1-3, in the second when Saito shocked Mwaliyas with his game-winning goal.
Rocball, the homegrown sport of Saipan, was created in 1979 by current MHS teacher Jim Feger.
The sport, according to Feger, is the only team net sport with offensive and defensive scoring presently being played, where the service team has scoring advantage and game closure.
Feger said Rocball is also the first offensive and defensive scoring team net sport, to restrict the receiving team with two hits off the serve, allows the serving team five hits off volley, and doesn’t award a point to the receiving team after every bad serve.
“Rocball is still the only team net sport of its kind that incorporates multiple points scoring off the serve and during volley,” Feger said.
