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Lights shining in the Arena, leis around students and staff’s necks, the school gathers to celebrate and prepare for the upcoming fall sports.
An aloha-themed pep rally was held Aug. 23. At this rally, the Talonettes and cheer team performed routines, a game created by the spirit leaders was played and sports teams were celebrated.
“I love how it (pep rallies) gives everybody a chance to get into the school spirit,” senior Evan Creasy said. “It creates a great atmosphere.”
The cheer team started practicing two weeks before the event.
“For the pep rallies, we begin with the routine and then practice it section by section,” assistant cheer coach Kirsten Crawford said. “Sometimes, we’ll start with the pyramid, then the tumbling line, then the dance, and then we’ll switch it up. At the end, we put it all together, and then they have to do it three times perfectly in a row.”
The student spirit leaders had less time to prepare, with only a week to decide what activity they planned.
“We figured out Tuesday what we’re running through, and then Thursday, we met up for advisory and switched it up,” spirit leader junior Nathan Crabtree said. “We had lots of last minute changes.”
These leaders ended up choosing a game in which teams of students form a line and try to pass a hula hoop to the end of that line without unlinking their arms. Then, the final person in the line runs and jumps into another teammate’s lap to pop a balloon in that person’s lap and runs back to the line to chest bump another teammate.
“I really liked how hype it was,” spirit leader junior Daniella Espinoza said. “Everyone was involved. Everyone was talking or screaming, and it was really good energy all around.”
Near the end of the pep rally, all fall sports student-athletes walked into the arena and were celebrated. The varsity football team prepared for their game against Westlake High School, which was played at Baylor’s McLane Stadium in Waco at 7 p.m.
“I’m most excited to play Westlake,” varsity football player senior Tayvin Labbe said. “The first game of the season is definitely going to be the hardest. It’s exciting to start fresh and hit them out.”
This pep rally ended like all others do, with the students and staff singing the school’s alma mater.
“I love the alma mater and the fight song,” Principal Nicholas Jones said. “It’s my favorite part of the pep rally every time.”
