By Jess Nocera Long Reach High Principal Josh Wasilewski stood tall with his arms spread out at the Oakland Mills High School cafeteria on Oct. 10, waiting for students to come in for the first lunch shift to not only eat, but also to tape him to the wall.

Ahead of Oakland Mills’ homecoming football game against Long Reach on Oct. 4, longtime friends Wasilewski and Oakland Mills Principal Jeff Fink placed a friendly wager: Whichever football team lost, that principal would go to the winning team’s school during lunch and students and staff would pay $1to buy a piece of duct tape and stick it onto the principal.

Oakland Mills won 12-8.

By the end of the first lunch shift, Wasilewski was covered in orange, black and purple duct tape. Orange for Oakland Mills, purple for Long Reach and black for both schools.

Wasilewski was wearing a full-body smock decorated by some of his students. A lighting bolt, representing the school’s mascot, and the phrases “Lightning Pride” and “LRHS” were drawn on it.

Long Reach students were able to participate by donating online.

All proceeds will go to the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia.

Grassroots is a multi-service crisis intervention center that provides “24-hour crisis intervention services, emergency and traditional center and community education,” according to its website.

“Grassroots does so much for us, for our community,” Wasilewski said.

Fink said Grassroots is a “really good organization,” so he happily would have been taped as well.

Cathy Smith, the Grassroots outreach DOUG KAPUSTIN/BALTIMORE SUN MEDIA Long Reach Principal Josh Wasilewski is taped to the wall of the Oakland Mills High School cafeteria — the result of a lost wager with Oakland Mills principal Jeffrey Fink, left, on the outcome of the Oct. 4 football game between the two schools. coordinator to county public schools, said the event is a great reward for students to see sportsmanship, advocacy and giving back come together.

Oakland Mills’ soccer teams, football team, the school’s boosters and the Howard County Education Association, the teacher’s union, donated money for all soccer and football players and staff to be able to participate. Remaining funds went toward all student participation.

During the lunch shifts, players from the football team took a photo with Wasilewski.

Kai Castle, senior quarterback at Oakland Mills, said the team was not going to let Fink down, Castle said the event is great for the school environment and that all students enjoyed it.

As for winning the homecoming game, Castle said, “It felt great.”

“It was a big crowd, and everyone was rooting for us.”

The two principals came up with the idea of a wager over a year ago, with Wasilewski suggesting the loser gets taped.

As for next year, Fink said they will think of something new, to which, Wasilewski said, “How can we top this?”