The West Ranch Gym boomed with spirit on Feb. 2, as the Amazing Race Rally began to celebrate the winter sports season and cheer on teams for the beginning of playoffs. Beaming lights passed through the crowd, and the excitement of the first rally of the new year surged through the room.
Each class had a specific color to represent their school spirit: vibrant green for the freshmen, smooth blue for the sophomores, blazing red for juniors and dazzling yellow for the seniors.
As the students settled in, an introductory video played, detailing the journey that students had embarked on to reach the Amazing Race Rally. As the video came to a close, the emcees made an explosive entrance into the rally, setting the center ablaze. All three emcees, Zach Wyre, Brenden Reyes and Da’nae Reaves, shot through the main doors, officially kicking off the rally.
To begin, freshman Elina Ghosh sang the National Anthem, delivering an amazing vocal performance. With her talented voice, she was able to captivate and energize the crowd for what came next.
Following the anthem, Principal Fisher led the students into a cheer-off; he held the famed spirit stick high, rippling a mighty wave of energy. Starting with the freshmen, then the sophomores and juniors, each grade level gave it their all, but ultimately, they could not compete with the seasoned seniors and their liveliness.
Before the crown of the rally, a few West Ranch teachers and staff members put on a show with a song cover of “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. One of the featured teachers, Mr. Stanich, expressed his thrill for the video: “It was a good time pretending to be rockstars with a bunch of coworkers.”
During one of the highlights of the rally, the sports teams were recognized for their outstanding seasons and continued efforts during the playoff season. Competitive cheer, boys and girls varsity basketball and boys and girls varsity soccer stole the show after a run-through on the gym mats.
Following the sports teams, the freshman and competitive cheer teams both gave a stunning performance that left the students in awe and anticipating more. After countless hours of practice, the teams showed grace and confidence in their flamboyant routine.
Afterward, students got a close-up experience with the famous game show, Family Feud. Steve Harvey even made an appearance in the form of Mr. Fisher with a convincing mustache, leading the battle between the grades in the classic game of Family Feud, but with a little West Ranch twist. This twist included West Ranch themed questions that the student body provided answers for, making the game more inclusive and unique. Though faced with various hard-fought matchups, the seniors prevailed once again and came out on top. Wildcats could all agree with Mrs. Priske when she said, “My favorite? Oh, definitely Mr. Fisher being ‘Steve Mr. Fisher Harvey.’ The family feud.”
In the finale, the drumline proudly walked up to the center of the gym, 
and just as they were about to perform, the drummers invited a special guest: West Ranch’s resource officer, Deputy Hook. Senior Braden Loprete, a section leader in the drumline, commented on the exhilaration he felt while performing: “Overall, it feels great to show school spirit and make noise for everyone, seeing the crowd getting super into it. It just sort of fuels my energy when I perform.” Cheered on by their classmates and teachers, the drumline beat their drums with all their heart, giving the Wildcats a performance to remember.
