On January 26th at 1:55 p.m., students were dismissed to the auditorium for a pep rally. This pep rally had been previously forecasted over email as a Student vs. Staff basketball game. The pep rally was just that, with a few extra bonuses.

The games started with a Senior vs. Junior Basketball game to see who would play the staff team in the second half. The Junior and Senior teams started strong, fighting for the ball and quickly racking up points. Barely two minutes into the game, there was a penalty called, and the teams lined up to watch the senior team’s penalty shot. Although a valiant effort, the shot was missed, and the junior team picked up the rebound. The players hurried down the court, and the Junior team player Drew Bittle secured a shot to put the junior team first.

After a quick time-out and some player substitutions, the game resumed. The second half dragged both teams across the court, running them ragged with very few points being achieved. However, the cheerleaders and step team kept the energy high with their chants and choreography. With barely a minute left in the game, the teams were stuck on the Juniors’ side, and they secured a beautiful 3-pointer to end the game.

With the Junior class team securing the win, they took a break to re-energize before they took on the staff team. Meanwhile, during this half-time-like break, the Lafayette Dance Team took the floor. Music played over the speakers as the team dazzled the crowd with their beautiful white costumes and stunning choreography. The student section of the gym cheered for the dance team as they accomplished moves that should have been impossible on the gym flooring.

The Dance Team left the floor with the crowd amazed. Quickly, the mood changed as upbeat music played, and the staff team took the floor to warm up before the game. The crowd cheered as the cheerleaders took the floor and assembled a runway. The staff team presented with cheers from the crowd and endorsements from the announcer.

The second half of the pep rally began with the coaches of both teams shaking hands and a face-off at center court as the team prepared for the tip-off. The ball was tipped to the juniors, and they raced down the court, trying to get an early lead. Quickly, the ball was blocked from making a shot and stolen by the staff team. They rebounded the missed shot and brought it down the court, securing the game’s first points.

The junior team made their way down the court, eager to match the points the staff team had already managed to score. The junior team did make a two-point shot, but it was quickly disregarded as Mr. Sims raced the ball down the court and made a three-point shot. This shot set a precedent for the first half of this game. The junior team would only score a point for the staff team to make a point with a higher value.

The first half of the Junior vs. Staff game ended with a score of 16-5, with the staff team in the lead. The cheerleaders performed flips for the crowd as the teams planned for the second half. Their time was up quickly, and the teams returned to the court. The junior team, eager to even the scores, made a three-point shot early in the second half. Their hopes were diminished, however, when the staff time maintained the gap with a three-point shot from Mr. Sims.

The Junior team brought the ball back down the court and sent a shot. It missed, and both teams struggled for the rebound, with the staff team eventually coming out on top. The staff players made their way down the court with little resistance and made a two-point shot. The juniors brought the game back down the court and secured a three-pointer, restoring their energy. They quickly stole the ball from the staff team and aimed to make a three-point shot. This shot failed, but on the rebound, the junior team managed to clutch the aforementioned three-point shot, bringing the score to a healthy 14-21.

Both teams battled for the ball, with the staff team managing to make another two-point shot. At the 2-minute mark, the clock was stopped as players subbed in on both teams. The teachers held custody of the ball for the next few minutes as they seemed to sink shot after shot. The juniors secured a two-point shot with seconds left on the clock. However, this wasn’t enough as the game ended with a score of 34-18, crowning the staff team as the winners.

Although students were eager to leave the gymnasium, they were returned to their seats as the RIOT Step Team began their performance. The performance was high energy, with shouts and cheers from the crowd. The team captivated the crowd, leaving them speechless as they exited the gym and signaled the end of the pep rally.

The Times was able to interview Junior team player Drew Bittle. Although his team lost, he said the pep rally was “…really fun. It was really fun to get together with everybody.” He ended his statement with, “Juniors on top!”. This reassured his confidence that the junior class was the best.

We were also able to interview the teacher, Mr. Sims. He stated that he thinks “…we played great team basketball. The staff did a really good job playing fundamental basketball.” He also stated that this game proved that “…age is nothing but a number and [that] we [can] still get buckets (wins) at 30/35 years old.”