The MouseCop franchise was founded in 2017. A tight-knit group of then-freshman students had heard about Troy’s annual dodgeball tournament and decided to enter. After considering well over 50 nicknames, the group decided on naming the team “MouseCop,” drawing inspiration from a sketch by comedy duo Key & Peele. In their first game against the all-senior team Korean Club, MouseCop pulled off an amazing upset. Unfortunately, their luck ran out in their second game where they were swept 2-0 by Undecided.

 

MouseCop was eager to improve on their 1-1 record from the previous season. 2018 saw major roster changes and improvements. Lawrence Santos retired from active play to take on the role of head coach, with Derek Borja being downgraded to assistant coach. New players Andrew Leong, Patrick Rim, and Alex Lashlee were added to the main roster. Their first game of the season against Asian Plus One would prove to be arguably the most historic and memorable game in franchise history. In the second round, Ryan Tseng caught a ball that initially hit Alex Lashlee before it hit the ground. The moment was dubbed “The Catch” and has been regarded as one of the greatest plays in dodgeball history. MouseCop was able to cruise through BYOBalls in the second round of the tournament, but would later be eliminated by the DesTROYers in the quarterfinals. The team finished with a franchise best 2-1 record.

 

Coming off their best season in franchise history, the 2019 MouseCops were looking to go even further and improve upon their 2-1 record. The Troy High School tournament saw a major change, expanding the rosters to 8 players from the original 6 player format. Lawrence Santos came out of retirement to help fill the additional spots. The team also acquired Sihwan Kwak and Mariah Alvarado in free agency. Just hours from their season opener, the team was hit with a major challenge. Ammar Khakoo had called out from the game citing personal reasons. This led to minor leaguer Tyler Hong being called up to take his spot. The team fought hard, but would later drop the game against Project Friendship. 

 

2020 would mark the final season of the MouseCop franchise, as all but one of the team’s players and staff would graduate high school that year. The team was motivated more than ever to win a championship, knowing this would be their “last dance.” Mariah Alvarado and Tyler Hong were released, with Sihwan Kwak moving back to Korea due to Visa reasons. Ammar Khakoo returned to the team, with Suhail Samidon being acquired in a trade that sent Patrick Rim to ASBalls. Riona Tsen, and Miguel Vergel de Dios filled up the remaining slots. In their first game of the season, the team defeated Troy Tech Support. All was looking well until an event no one saw coming changed the course of history forever.

 

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) a pandemic. The infectious nature of the disease saw large and close gatherings of people come to a halt. The Fullerton Joint Union High School district, including Troy High School, closed in person classes, moving towards a distance learning model that would last throughout the rest of the school year. 

 

The team was heartbroken and frustrated with the fact that their season had come to an end. However, the Troy Dodgeball League knew they couldn’t end the season without naming a champion. After much deliberation, the league named MouseCop as the 2020 champions, citing their heart, strength and  perseverance. The team officially ceased operations on July 1, 2020.