MIDDLEBORO — Donned in specially made jerseys, the Middleboro Police and Fire Department protected their nets and served free-throws in the first annual Battle of the Badges Friday, March 14.
.
Organized by the Middleboro High School Class of 2027 to raise money for future events like prom, homecoming and senior sunrise, the community poured into the gymnasium for a basketball game between those who protect the town. The firefighters proved too hot to handle, winning 37 to 32.

Secretary Lily Ponte said the event was months in the making, and was inspired by Middleboro High School’s Resource Officer Zachary Porter, who participated in the game. Members of the class had spent the last few weeks running around town securing sponsorships from local businesses.

Ponte said the event had been both stressful and fun to be a part of.

“We spent a couple of weekends going to businesses and being like, ‘Hey, do you wanna be our sponsor?’ — I think delegating tasks is the hardest thing too. It’s a learning experience,” she said.

JoAnn Salamone, co-advisor for the class, said she got goosebumps at the sight of everything finally coming together. One of her favorite parts of the process was seeing how proud her students were at their accomplishments.

“They’re our leaders of the future,” she said, “They went out and got the sponsorships, they’ve organized and they’ve made their scripts. So, we’re very excited — it’s all come together.”

The heated rivalry brought a close game. As the members of each department darted across the court, the packed crowd cheered, dressed in red or blue, with signs dotting the bleachers.

With two seconds left before halftime, the police tied the game with a score of 19. Three-point shots and constant layups had the teams neck and neck until the final buzzer.

Officer Dylan Adams said the police department practiced a few times a week leading up to the game. He said the rivalry was fun, but it felt good getting together to help the students.

“I think it’s nice to see the camaraderie between the police and fire for a good cause,” he said. “It’s fun — it’s exercise — we all get to have fun doing it.”

Patrick Perkins acted as the coach for the firefighters due to a bad ankle, despite having only ever played the game recreationally when he was younger. He said being able to oversee the team was fun.

“The guys put on a glorious effort out there,” he said. “The cops did great too — just not as good.”

Perkins shouted out the Middleboro Cobras, who scrimmaged against his team in preparation for the big game. He said being able to come together often for practices was a good bonding experience for the department.

Although the feeling of bringing the town together to help the class was nice, Perkins said he came to win.

“The goal was to win — fundraising was a close second,” he said.

The two teams both shared interest in another matchup next year. Adams teased that maybe with a bit more practice the police can take the trophy home.

“We know what we’re dealing with, and hopefully they’re going to raise more money for the class — have a good showing of people,” he said.