Sharks bite Quacks
By Brandon Davis
Published in News on September 18, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Ron Lawrence makes a big swing for the ball while batting for the Sharks, lawyers, during the annual Fowl Play charity softball game Thursday night to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County. The lawyers beat the doctors 33-12.
There was a lot of trash talk Thursday night as crosstown rivals the Sharks and the Quacks took the field.
It did not matter that they were there for charity -- to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County.
After all, both sides said, the annual event is also about bragging rights.
The fund-raising event, which pitted local doctors against local lawyers, was part of Goldsboro's week-long poultry-themed festival -- Beak Week. Renamed "Fowl Play" in honor of the theme, the game brought out the intensity of the rivalry.
The lawyers, who called themselves the "Sharks," and the doctors, whose team name was the "Quacks," spent much of the night in good-natured ribbing.
"Depends on how many doctors cheat," said attorney Charles Gaylor, when asked who would win the game. "They'll find nurses to play for them."
"Lawyers have held outside practices," countered Dr. Ben Eskra. "We don't step out of work at 3 p.m."
The Sharks took an early 7-1 lead.
"It is very entertaining," said Mary Ann Dudley, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club. "When the uniform is on, the competition is on."
And as much as she enjoyed the game, Mrs. Dudley said she also appreciated the support, which allows the club to serve children every day.
"It is the fourth (game) with lawyers and doctors," she said. "It is a small fundraiser to showcase our property."
A large crowd filled the bleachers as husbands, fathers, wives, mothers and co-workers took to the field, cheering on their favorite side.
Fueled by the spirit of knowing they were participating in an event to support the club -- and the fact that they would not be bested by the Sharks without a fight -- the Quacks fought back.
But the effort was not quite enough to keep the Sharks from pulling away, with the lawyers eventually winning 33-12.
Beak Week will wrap up tonight and Saturday with a two-day long Heroes Cup Cornhole tournament in the John Street parking lot downtown, which is a tournament that honors law enforcement, firefighters, members of the military and first responders.
Tonight the open-play event will run from 4 to 11 p.m., and on Saturday the tournament will run from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The cost of entry on Saturday is $60 per team in advance, or $80 at the door. The entry fee includes two Heroes Cup T-shirts, the entry into the tournament and two tickets into hourly prize drawings.
There are eight divisions for participants to compete in: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, EMT, Fire and Police. The Heroes Cup is a cornhole tournament developed exclusively for the men and women around the United States who protect and serve the general public.
The division champions will win a prize jersey each and an entry into the World Slyder Cup in Season XI. The overall winner of the Heroes Cup will win $500, and second place will receive $200.