Turn off your SnapMaps; ask your parents to be your getaway car, and mask yourself in your best hoodies because it is that time of year again. Etowah students are now waking up early and going to bed late, running around trying to eliminate one another for this year’s annual student-run Nerf Wars.  

“I like Nerf a lot, but there are times it gets annoying, but it is worth being with my friends and winning like the ‘Yeah Babies’ did last year,” Nick Block, senior, said.

Teams of five with Nerf guns and loaded PVC pipes, which are more powerful than regular Nerf guns, know opposing teams could be lurking around the corner. Not all places are fair game, including: McAlister’s, Chick-fil-A, Brusters, school campuses, and church facilities, so participants get creative when playing.

“I like how I have the opportunity to have freedom at work and do not have to worry about getting shot,” Amanda Buchheit, sophomore, said.

Players pay $10 to participate, and the winning team receives $160.

“It is fun, and I mean it takes some dedication hunting people down and finding schedules, but Nerf is fun for everyone to do,” Dalton Miller, junior, said.

If a team is tied by the end of each week, a “shootout” decides which team moves on. Due to police showing up, shootouts moved from Towne Lake Hills Park to Eagle Watch Park.

“Everyone comes to the shootouts and cheers everyone on, and honestly, it brings the school together to make memories together while being safe and having fun,” Cade Gantt, senior, said.

Once the six-week pool play is over, playoffs begin. Every team starts in the game, but the best teams start at the top seed. Once a team loses, it is out for the year.

Check Twitter @EHSnerf2019 for updates on the latest Nerf news. The teams of five have created team names for easier access and communication. Although hundreds of students participate, EHS does not sanction Nerf Wars.