On Thursday, March 7, Irvington’s Varsity Badminton faced Washington in the third tournament of the season in the Irvington Gym. Irvington won by a sweeping score of 17-0, winning every game played. With 4 games in the boys’ singles division, 4 matches in the girls’ singles division, 3 matches in the boys’ doubles division, 3 matches in the girls’ doubles division, and 3 matches in the mixed doubles division, Irvington did not let Washington win even one match. 

The gym was engulfed in organized chaos as 7 badminton matches were played simultaneously, and the team worked like an oiled machine throughout. Afterward, the sweet victory was celebrated, and an even more impressive feat considering Irvington hasn’t seen a 17-0 win in over four years. 

“The energy basically has been increasing throughout the game because as time goes by we win and win more games,” said Henry Chang, “everyone becomes more hyped as we looked forward to beating Washington with a perfect game”. Coach Stout decides the lineup, or the order of the matches, which is extremely crucial and key in determining the energy and momentum throughout the game. 

The excitement and anticipation was in the air as the last round of matches proceeded, only to end in a satisfying, resounding victory on all courts for Irvington. 

What’s more interesting is that Irvington wasn’t even using their best line up. The best line up would have been to determine the best positions for the players after practice in the days leading up to the game, by having players challenge each other one-on-one. Made up of a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen, Irvington Badminton will continue to sharpen their skills and work hard, and prepare for upcoming games. 

On Thursday, March 14, Irvington is set to face Mission at Irvington. If Irvington is able to use their best line up, and prepare well, a victory against Mission is on the horizon. It would be a historic win, especially considering that Mission has not lost a single league game since 1999, so this will could potentially be the first time in 20 years.