Loud Mouths, Dads and Munchers are crumbled by Sticky Crumbs in crunch-off

Rhonda Eador presents the Cookie Crunch-off plaque to the Sticky Crumbs, in no particular order, Randy Allen, Pat Grothous, Randy Harris, Bob Hendrix and Mike Ketterman.

Not since Seabiscuit took down Man-O'War has there been a closer race. Saturday night, in an auditorium swarming with area girl scouts and curious onlookers, a quad force of cookie eating giants gathered for a test of gastronomical strength and wills, the 6th annual Nevada Girl Scout Cookie Crunch-off.

The reigning champions, the Nevada Water Department "Water Babies," had retired after three straight wins and the coveted Cookie Crunch-off plaque was up for grabs.

Lining up for the race in chute number one. the unnamed and untried Girl Scout Dads team bellied up to the table. Newcomers in the race, the team was scraped together after the Nevada Wal-Mart team, no doubt fearing a strong defeat, failed to show.

"If you see any Wal-Mart workers you tell them they disappointed the girl scouts," said Cookie Crunch-off Organizer Rhonda Eador.

Chute number two was filled with the Nevada Parks and Recreation Department, the Green Munchers, hoping to claim the glory for their water department brethren and keep the Crunch-off plaque in city employee hands.

In chute number three was the Girl Scout Leaders, the Loudmouth Eaters. A crowd favorite they had girl scout honor to uphold and they weren't backing down without a fight.

Lastly, in chute number four sat the team from 3M, the Sticky Crumbs, confident that in a war of tummies, size does matter.

Eador laid down the rules: Eight cookies had to be eaten and before a team member could relay they had to open their mouth to show the judges the cookie was gone. You could eat more than one cookie at a time but, "If you make crumbs you have to eat them," she said.

With a wild shout the race was on and the sound of cookie chomping and milk guzzling filled the air.

The Loud Mouth Eaters took an early lead while the Sticky Crumbs sneaked in second and the Green Munchers were a couple of cookies behind. In round two the Sticky Crumbs pulled up along side the Loud Mouth Eaters as they changed team members at the same time. In round three the Sticky Crumbs pulled ahead with the Loud Mouth Eaters close behind.

Round four saw the Loud Mouth Eaters pass on the outside as they came around the bend and headed for the finish line.

In the fifth and final round the Loud Mouth Eaters and the Sticky Crumbs were cramming cookies into their mouths with both hands and running neck and neck toward the finish line. Then the Sticky Crumbs took a single-cookie lead and was able to slide through and on to the winners circle with the Loud Mouth Eaters a close second. The Green Munchers came in a broad distance behind for third and finally the Girl Scout Dads limped across the finish line.

Sticky Crumb anchor man Mike Ketterman offered the strategy that pushed him ahead, "Take them two at a time and soak them while they are in the mouth."