On Friday, Sept. 8, Deep Run hosted their first pep rally of the year. With the drum line announcing the start of the event through the hallways, students of all grade levels gathered in the gym to participate in games and show spirit to the school. Senior Colin Gordon kicked things off with an electric guitar rendition of the National Anthem.
After the fall sports teams were announced, freshmen Regan McNally and Matthew Teagle were introduced to the crowd as the pep rally committee’s newest members. Pep rally hosts also announced that the yearlong, inter-class spirit competition started last year would begin again this year. The first game was the “Shoot, Score, and Sit” race, a combination of musical chairs and basketball where players had to circle a group of chairs, then run and score a basket once the music stopped before running back to sit in an available chair.
Junior Ann Peyton (“AP”) Duncan participated in this game alongside new varsity boy’s basketball coach and math teacher Doug Bibby; she lasted three rounds before being knocked out of the competition.
“I had some idea I was going to be picked for the game just because I have basketball experience, but I was also very nervous when I heard my name called,” Duncan said.
Although her grade level didn’t win this race, Duncan felt it was still an enjoyable experience.
Competing for the junior team in another game, junior Ella Joy Jacobs participated in the dizzy bat race. In this relay race, one individual from each team spins with a baseball bat 20 times and then runs the length of the gym and back before their teammate can begin the next lap. Despite the competition, Jacobs felt the love from the whole gym.
“At first I was nervous about messing up, but once the game started it was so much fun. There was a lot of support coming from the students, teachers, and each other’s teams,” Jacobs said.
In another highlight for the event, the competition cheer and dance teams came out to perform for the audience. Students went wild for the stunts, turns, and tricks these teams had to offer.
At the end of the first pep rally, seniors lead this year’s spirit competition with a score of 80 points, with sophomores following with a score of 60 points. The juniors take third with a score of 50 points, while freshmen start off this year with a score of zero.
