PHS March Madness Tournament Heats Up With Three Games Left

Teak Getman and Trevor Stacy Battle For the Number One Spot

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Jake Haley, PaperClip Staff/Writer

With three games left in the 2023 March Madness Basketball Tournament at Portsmouth High School, all eyes are on UConn. Teak Getman, PHS junior, is currently in the lead in the school-wide tournament and will come out on top if UConn loses in one of its potential two games. 

“I have two chances for [UConn] to lose, but they are a very good team,” says Getman. He knows the tournament is far from over with Trevor Stacy, PHS senior, close behind.

If UConn manages to win their Final Four game, they will be headed to the championship against the winner of SDSU (San Diego State University) and FAU (Florida Atlantic University). If they come out victorious in the championship game, so will Trevor Stacy. 

“I have confidence in UCONN because they just blew out Gonzaga by 30 points and Gonzaga had the highest number of points per game in the 2023 NCAA Division I season,” says Stacy. Despite filling out his bracket in under one minute during his Chemistry II class, Stacy believes in the New England based team.

Points in the tournament are earned depending on each round. One point is given for correct predictions in the first round, two in the second round, four in the third, eight in the fourth, sixteen in the fifth, and thirty-two in the sixth and final round. 

The chances of creating a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion and there has never been one in the history of the NCAA tournament. 

“[I think] it’s complete luck,” says Richard Hugener, PHS tournament founder and Science teacher. Hugener started the tournament in 2009 to have a friendly competition within the school community and it has grown in popularity since then. 

The winner of the PHS tournament gets their name written on the famous poster hung on Mr. Hugener’s wall, next to the past winners, and a gift card.

“I want to bring it all home and see my name up on the wall,” says Getman.

Tune in to watch UConn face off against the University of Miami on April 1, 2023, at 8:50 pm and the March Madness Championship game which will be held April 3, 2023, at a TBD time.