Sweat drips down the players’ faces as anticipation rises. High schoolers race out of their cars to face the competition. The Nerf Wars, a series of Nerf battles that are tradition among Etowah students, are heating up as players chase each other through Towne Lake with their Nerf guns. 

Students have formed teams to track down their opponents and shoot them with Nerf darts. Starting on Feb 22., teams began elimination rounds. Once teams have two losses, they are cut from the game. The pressure brings players closer together.

“Bonding with my team has been the best part of Nerf Wars. We’re the worst team on the league because we have a bunch of other commitments, but it’s been a lot of fun,” Chris Haswell, junior, said. 

Every round, teams are assigned another to compete against. When players are hit with a dart, they are out of the game for the remainder of the week. The group with the most players remaining wins that round, and teams post their scores onto the Nerf War Twitter page. Teams get points based on how many people they have eliminated and lost from their own.

“My favorite experience as a sub for Etowah Nerf Wars would be when we were all blocked in, and I got my first kill on the first day. Being a sub has made me want to continue to play Nerf when I’m a senior,” Laurel O’Brien, junior, said. 

There are certain restrictions to the game’s boundaries. For example, students are not allowed to bring their Nerf guns onto Etowah campus. There are many “safe spots” around Towne Lake where shops have deemed their property as a place that the game cannot take place, including churches, religious properties, El Ranchero, LA Fitness, and Bruster’s. 

The commissioners of the game this year are seniors Nolan Silverman, Ben Willet, and Colby Flaig. They monitor the game on the Twitter page @EtowahNerf2021. They also monitor disputes between two players in disagreement of the results, which are settled with shootouts between two players.

“Being a commissioner for Nerf [Wars] is exciting because it’s like running your own league, and getting to call and be at every shootout is fun,” Flaig said. 

After the elimination rounds, each member of the final team receives a $200 cash prize. The money is funded by the $10 cost to enter the game. 

For more updates on the Nerf Wars, be sure to check out the Twitter page. @EtowahNerf2021