Sometimes mothers and sons just want to throw something at one another. They got their chance to do so recently at Kilough Elementary.

Several dozen mothers, fathers, children and grandparents gathered Sept. 15 in the school's gym for the second annual PTO mother/son dodgeball game and the competitive nature of each group quickly came to the front.

"Last year my son wouldn't play, but this year he said ‘Mama, I'm playing,'" Kendra Coker said. "He was really excited the whole week."

Her son, Lanier Coker, explained his desire to play as simply wanting to "hit my mama with a ball.

"I want to play and get Mama out," Lanier Coker said.

Looking on, Kendra Coker just sighed.

"The things we do for our children," she said. "I'm sure I'll be the first one out."

Devon Bearden, whose mother Kristi Bearden is the school's librarian, said that despite an injury to his right wrist, he was still going to play.

"I'm still gonna be able to throw at Mom," Devon Bearden, who wore a brace on his wrist, said. "So it should be fun."

Heather Warner, who recently moved with son Jackson Binkley to Dawson County, said she didn't know anyone at the event but that it was an opportunity to meet some of the parents of her son's friends.

"He came home just really excited to play," Warner said. "He told me we had to come and it would be ‘just so cool.' We just moved up here from Gwinnett where we never got to do anything that mother/son, so it's just a neat opportunity to spend time with my guy.

"If you get me out you're not eating for the rest of the week," Warner said to her son. "I'm just teasing, but seriously you'd better not get me out."

Jackson Binkley just laughed and said: "I'm gonna get you."

Kendra Coker said that the event, sponsored by the PTO at Kilough, was for a good cause.

"We let [our children] humiliate us but it's all for a good cause," Coker said. "All of the proceeds go back to the PTO to bring in speakers, pay for field trips and for the spring fling dance, so it's all worth it."

Mothers had to pay $2 for one child, and up to $6 for more than three children, but no one hesitated to pay.

"It's a really great thing they do," Warner said. "And I'm happy to contribute and we're happy to be able to spend the time together. "