Marblehead pie-eating contest sloppy fun

MARBLEHEAD-The Marblehead High Spirit Rally pie-eating contestants could taste victory Wednesday morning as they threw themselves face-first into the competition.But after roughly three minutes of gobbling and munching on the floor of the high school gym the winner was freshman Tom Derosier.Derosier stood victorious, face covered with whipped cream and pie filling, as hundreds of his fellow red-and-black-clad students roared with approval or envy, reaching noise levels usually heard at rock concerts.The contest climaxed the activities at a rally preceding Thursday?s traditional Thanksgiving Day football game with Swampscott. It was somewhat anticipated because Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac volunteered to represent the staff in the contest.He was joined by social studies teacher Matt Tangney and a volunteer from each class: Derosier, sophomore Hunter McCole, junior Ari Conte and senior Evan Comeau.Under the watchful eyes of moderator Michael Lavender, a physical education teacher, and Student Government leaders Josh Chmara and Emmy York two layers of paper were placed on the floor of the gym – the most carefully-nurtured floor in any school – and six pies were placed on the center of those papers.At a word from Lavender the contestants knelt over their pies, then lay prone – except for Dulac.The superintendent, who wore a Marblehead football shirt, was given a chair to sit in and with the approval of the judges he was allowed to pick his pie up and eat it with a fork, one bite at a time.At one point he looked down, made eye contact with Tangney and pointed with his fork to an area of Tangney?s pie that the teacher hadn?t touched yet.His pie, by the way, was a special blend. Dulac requested Maine blueberries.Told before the rally that people would be cheering for him, Dulac brandished his fork and cautioned a listener, “Don?t bet any money on me.”The pie-eating contest joined a dodgeball game, a tug-of-war, a dizzy bats race and a football demonstration by the high school varsity team and the powder puff girls? team as the fun part of the rally. The school band, the Jewel Tones a capella group and the cast of the school play “West Side Story” provided the music for the moment.And just like the pie-eating contest, the crowd ate it up.