The Harlem Wizards came to Cam High on Feb. 17 for a fundraiser basketball game that took place in the gym and  featured alley-oop plays, interactions with fans, and mini-games for kids.

Students who purchased tickets were able to watch their teachers play, dance, and interact with the Wizards. Ms. Lauri Markson, English teacher, was lifted up by a Wizard named Tomahawk. Observers were also able to watch Ms. Shannon Klemann, biology teacher, dance with the Wizards.

Everything the teachers did was unscripted. The only guidance they were given was to “follow the guys around on defense and let them do tricks,” said Mr. John Foster, history and Business and Technology Academy (BATA) teacher.

The first half was not competitive and consisted primarily of the Harlem Wizards doing tricks around the court. The Wizards would pass the ball back and forth to one another while teasing the teachers. The Wizards would also alley-oop — where one player passes it near the rim while the other jumps and dunks it –, do a simple layup, or dunk it. One highlight was when Tomahawk made a shot from more than halfway across the court.

Cameron Stivers, junior, said his favorite part of the show were the tricks the Wizards did in between gameplay. A couple times King Arthur, one of the Wizards, interacted with people in the stands, sitting on someone’s lap and dancing with a microphone stand. Live Action, another Wizard, also interacted with the crowd, making people smile.

In the third quarter, the game turned more competitive. Teachers made some three-point shots and layups while the Wizards dunked and made flashy shots. In the final seconds of the third quarter, Mr. Scott Frank, Las Colinas teacher, made a three-point shot to put the teachers ahead at 57-56.

The Wizards pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, but most of the time was used in a musical chairs game where a parent attempted to “pants” King Arthur but ended up falling in the process.

Throughout the game, Wizards interacted with little kids through giveaways and mini-games. A highlight moment for Kyla Stivers, a sophomore at Cam High, was during a tic-tac-toe game where two kids had to make a layup to put down an X or O. The girl that was playing made every basket, so Showtime swatted one of her shots away to give the other contestant a chance at winning. The girl was still able to win the challenge and both kids received prizes.

Hangtime, one of the Wizards, said,“[Camarillo is]  a small community, so just getting everybody together for an evening and just have some fun, let their hair down, and just forget about everything for a while, that’s really what makes it special.” 

According to Taylor Bowers, senior and ASB secretary, “All profits are going to the senior class besides what we have to pay for the Wizards to come.”