Playing “Assassins” has been a tradition for high school juniors for decades. Not only Freedom students play this game, but other schools around the county and even across the country do. “Assassins” is an amusing game to look away from all the stress being put on by school. 

A group of students start out by choosing one other teammate, and once the teams are decided, they get assigned a target team. After receiving their target, teams have about a week to get their opponents out by squirting them with water guns and getting proof by either a video or a photo.

There had been a large group of students playing this year: 40 students, which made up 20 teams. Teams consisted of Grace Lane and Julia Young, Matthew Schultheis and Damian Grunnagle, Austin Coll and Nathan DiNardo, Jacob Milbert and Jacob Aland, Mason Swab and Adam Wright, Julia Mohrbacher and Finley Paxton, Leannah Messenger and Sophia Stone, Megan Evans and Kaylee Ostrowski, Danny Lewis and Andrew Henley, Tanner Millward and Gavin Palka, Erica Rosa and Brandi Bonzo, Sydney Beringer and Luke Gazdik, Nicholas Paganini and Silas McCullough, Journey Welling and Leyasa Young, Paige Young and Leia Mosconi, David Denkovich and Isaac Barry, Trenton McCray and Colin Fricke, Mikalah Smith and Avery Baldwin, Jersee Melvin and Megan Jones and Carly Schoedel and Jordan Lizzi.

“I really enjoyed playing and it was very fun. It was a very fun experience and it was super exciting getting to shoot people with water guns,” Schoedel said.

Being in the midst of junior year, work can get a bit stressful for students. With SAT testing, homework assignments, tests and so much more, it is good to be able to get out and have a good time with different people.

There had been rules and stipulations within the game including not being allowed to eliminate targets on school property, while they clocked in at work until they clocked out, no eliminations at sporting events and targets had to be eliminated on camera or it did not count. 

“I liked it a lot. I was out almost every night and I had fun with the kids who played. I would definitely play again if I got the chance!” Lane said.

“Assassins” is a beneficial way to get away from the troubles and worries of everyday life. Teams get to run and drive around their towns and have fun with their friends and opponents.

Having different strategies is an effective way to eliminate targets. Different information about one’s target is very useful when playing “Assassins.” Knowing where they live can allow one to go to their house and get them out there. 

“You want to know where they live, work and hang out. You also want to talk to someone who is close with them to try to get them to tell you where they are at,” Palka said.

After the first round of eliminating targets, 12 teams had been eliminated, leaving only eight teams left. Schultheis and Grunnagle, Coll and DiNardo, Swab and Wright, Millward and Palka, Rosa and Bonzo, Paganini and McCullough, McCray and Fricke and Lizzi and Schoedel had all advanced to the second round.

Just a short few days had passed when McCray, Schoedel, Lizzi, Paganini and McCullough had been eliminated. Round three had started, leaving only Schultheis and Grunnagle, Swab and Wright and Millward and Palka. 

After putting up a fight for the last few weeks, Schultheis and Grunnagle had won the gold. The winners will take home $100 and the satisfaction of being the 2022 junior class “Assassins” winners.