Last Thursday as the Paint Branch’s Varsity Football Team  prepared to take on bitter rival Blake High School in the new stadium, the weather became their greatest opponent.  Unfortunately, the rain became heavy and both the game and the much anticipated pep rally were cancelled and rescheduled for Monday, September 16^th.  The entire student body was  disappointed but eager for Monday to come.

By 1:20 Monday afternoon everyone was just about ready to enter the new stadium and participate in the pep rally, but as people entered, it became apparent that people were in awe of the new stadium.

As everyone waited for Principal Dr. Rogers to address the crowd and get the pep rally started, there was a definite excitement in the air. The pep rally started with each sports team running out onto the field after they were introduced.. The teams included all cheerleading teams, Poms, girls’ and boys’ cross country, varsity and JV field hockey, , girls’ and boys’ soccer, tennis, volleyball, and golf. The final team to come out – the football team – sprinted onto the field, and some of the students cheered for them loudly while other stayed in their seats and clapped.

One of the soccer players tried to address everyone about the team’s upcoming game but there were some technical difficulties with the microphone. Dr. Rogers also tried to address the crowd, but the technical problems continued.

Finally, head varsity football Coach Nesmith got the mic to work and addressed the crowd, thanking them for their support and encouraging people to come out that night for the big rivalry game. After the team introductions, the cheerleaders performed and tried their best to get the crowd hyped, but the crowd was quite uninterested, except for a few students who kept things going. Poms also performed and did their best to bring the crowd to life as well, but, again, the crowd was not very receptive.

The marching band, however, was successful in getting the crowd hyped at one point, as the drums especially seemed to get people excited. Overall, the pep rally – though a bit subdued – was a success and was a great way to open the new stadium.