You might say that the students, teachers, parents and friends really had a blast at the 15th annual BLAST (Best Learning After School Time) Super Bowl football game on Wednesday between Oakmont and Sumner Elementary schools.

If you think this was a low-key event, think again. This game had all the trappings of a big football game with uniforms, coaches, referees, cheerleaders, signs, trophies and even the Claremont High School band playing at halftime. Needless to say, this is a highly-planned event that students and staff look forward to every year.

Site supervisor of the Oakmont BLAST Program Jacqueline Killman, one of the organizers of the event, explained the planning process. “Every year, we add more and more activities, just from ideas that come across or inspiration from the students participating. Last year, we added a trophy award. And, this year, we added the awarding of plaques to our coaches.”

Although the game is taken seriously, the goal is to have fun. The teams were well-prepared as they ran numerous scripted plays.

“Our main inspiration came out of Oakmont students who, through the years, have shown their great love of the sport of football,” Ms. Killman said.