Shannon Moss ’11
Web News Editor

Ryan Smith ’10 and Alex Werner ’10 longed for the middle school days where running through an open field, dodging oncoming defenders, and capturing a flag in gym class was the worst of their worries.

It was throughout these years that the game of capture the flag captured their interest.

So when they moved up to high school, Smith and Werner knew they had to find a way to continue playing.

It may have taken them three years to get going, but now, in their senior year, the Capture the Flag Club will finally exist.

In making this club, Smith and Werner said they wanted to “introduce the art of Capture the Flag” to Staples High School students, all while having a good time and reliving those middle school days. They insist that it is not a sport, but a more creative process.

“Is it an art? Of course it’s an art,” Smith said. “Would you call Monet a sportsman?”

However, avid capture the flag player Alex Mullen ’10 disagrees. He believes that capture the flag cannot be categorized as a sport or an art form.

“It is simply a majestic display of passion,” Mullen said.

Their meetings, which consist of only playing Capture the Flag, will be held two times a week following soccer season and the winter, due to field availability and weather conditions.

With so many ways to attempt to steal the flag, different strategies are utilized for different players.

“My personal strategies are to quickly snatch and grab, as well as using distraction to allow other teammates to get the flag,” Smith said.

Werner on the other hand notes the complexity of the many strategies that can be used in the game.

“You can overwhelm them with offense, but if you get everyone on the other team tagged out the game is yours,” Werner said.

Smith emphasizes that capture the flag requires that the player be extremely aggressive in order to succeed in retrieving the flag.

“It’s like drinking hot coffee,” said Smith. “Just do it.”

Mullen also believes that an effective player “must have the strategy it takes to have the courage and bravery necessary on the battlefield.”

As of now, the Capture the Flag club has 10 committed members including Smith and Werner, but they hope to expand the club and create an entertaining environment for anyone who wants to join.