Rocball fever returns to center stage this week

Rocball comes back to life this week, with two leagues expected to get underway in the coming days at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

Rocball founder James Feger disclosed yesterday that four high schools teams have been formed and will take part in the high school competition beginning this week.

Practice rounds have been ongoing for the past week and a half for the high school competition, which would be played Mondays to Thursdays during lunch time from 12:30 to 1pm.

Feger also indicated that the World Organized Rocball Interscholastic and Community League is in its final preparation before actually kicking off next week, and only awaits the confirmation of participation from teams before the first bumps, xunks, and goals are recorded this season.

Feger said four teams have already shown interest in competing, including the hard-smacking Ghasias Brothers, powerhouse Shag, the North Stars, and another team yet to submit a team name.

Games for the league are to be played on Mondays from 5:30pm to 7pm, and possibly on Saturdays as well.

Feger said the winner of the community league will take center stage against the core of all stars assembled from the high school competition for the Rocball World Championships shortly after the season.

Interested teams may still register to compete in the season, which according to Feger, would be quite interesting, citing that several rules have changed.

As usual, teams do not have to pay an entrance fee to compete. Team members, however, must adhere to all school rules.

Last year, the Brothers, led by high-flyer Fred Pelisamen, repeated as champions after beating Shag in a hard fought championship series.

With the series tied at a match apiece, the Brothers went on a rampage and took the next two matches to bag the crown, securing their successful season with a double O-kon victory courtesy of a goal by Pelisamen, who was later named the most valuable player of the playoffs.

The year before, the Brothers stunned the Rocball world and bagged their first crown by upsetting heavy favorite HardKor, a team comprised of athletic veterans, several of whom were among the first players of the game.

In the past years, Rocball has attracted interest from India, which now has a Rocball federation of its own, EuroSport, a popular sports channel, and Crackerjax, an Arizona Sports Theme Park.

It was also featured on the CNN World Report in April 1993 and April 1994.

Feger invented the sport in 1979. The game is a non-contact team net game derivative of volleyball and a Meso-American sport-Tlachtli-once played by the athletes of the Aztec civilization of what is now the country of Mexico.

For more information on Rocball or to register for the upcoming season, contact Feger at the MHS gym at 664-3810.