On Thursday March 6th at 7pm in the lower gym, the faculty of Bernards and Bedminster will be taking on the Bernards High seniors. In order to play or attend, an entry fee of $5 must be paid. The money that is raised will go towards the California wildfire relief efforts. The wildfires in Southern California affected tens of thousands of homes and buildings and evacuated close to 200,000 people in 2025.
The seniors have put in a lot of effort this school year, with sports, co-curricular activities, and preparing for college. This game is a way for students to have a great time reflecting on their school journey and scoring buckets over former teachers.
Mr. Mahlik, a BHS alumni and now a physical education teacher at BMS, is excited to compete against the students. He played varsity basketball for multiple years in high school for BHS. Mahlik says “I look forward to playing against the seniors as they head towards graduation and enter their life post high school. It will be fun to show them their former teachers still have the skills to take it to them.”
Matt Falzarano ‘25, a participant representing the senior class, says “I’m looking forward to seeing my old teachers and I think it is a great event for students to come and watch.”
For seniors, this could be the last time to see some of their past teachers before moving on to their life beyond high school. It gives the students a chance to reconnect with their teachers, share how they have been doing, and bring back some old memories.
Mahlik continues saying, “Any school event that involves the faculty vs the students always provides a fun atmosphere and is great for the culture of the school.”
Ben Balian ‘27 and Jack Martin ‘27 will be doing PA announcing throughout the whole game. Ben has done this for the varsity boys and girls basketball home games throughout their season. It is a great addition to the program because it brings more energy to the games and keeps the crowd engaged. Balian ‘27, says he is “ecstatic to honor a group of seniors that have positively impacted the school environment over the past four years in this celebratory basketball game.”
As winter sports come to an end, the student faculty game is a great way to end the winter and start off the spring. It also provides a rare opportunity to see some of the seniors’ former educators competing in a fun event with the senior students. The more people that attend, the better the atmosphere, and the more of an impact the event will have in raising money for the California wildfires.
Be sure to check out the student faculty basketball game on March 6th to support BHS seniors face off against the faculty to raise money for California wildfire relief.
