Big Game activities spanned all week leading up to the intense game.
A new schedule was used this year to encourage more students to get involved, and there were many student-led games in between quarters. The game was a big success, and North took the win 44-24 against the Round Lake Panthers.
“It was cool to have more students attend having it in the morning because oftentimes students will leave early then and miss it,” said Student Council sponsor Amy Fitzgerald.
In the past, the game has always been held at the end of the school day similar to the Homecoming assembly. The staff has noticed that this has caused students to leave school early and not attend the game, so they switched the game to be after first period.
“I think there were some challenges with it, including that it’s tough to go from the game to 7th, then 6th, and finally 8th. Everyone’s a little confused now, and I think everyone is a little exhausted after the excitement that we’re all dragging a little,” Fitzgerald said.
The switch improved attendance, but students found that having a 6th and 7th period flipped was disorienting. The whole day seemed tiring following the energy of The Big Game. Some also found it difficult to fully get into the excitement of the game when they hadn’t even finished waking up.
“I think there was a lot of excitement leading up to the game. Each day there were different activities. The tailgate was super cool and a lot of fun. So I think just making it more throughout the week was awesome,” said Student Council Sponsor Tim Sheehan.
The whole week there were spirit days and a variety of activities. From karaoke days, autograph signings, and an alumni game, the athletes were more than busy. One of the most successful events was the breakfast tailgate before school on the day of the game. Many clubs gathered around for food and music as they welcomed the athletes in with high fives and cheers to pump them up for their game.
“It was a lot of fun. Our athletes were very excited to have pizza. So it was nice to allow time for them to socialize and you know talk about the game and what are their favorite parts of the game,” said coach Yolanda Vasquez.
Following the thrills of the game, the athletes were treated to a pizza party for lunch and discussed their game and how much they enjoyed playing basketball. The Big Game was a massive success enjoyed by many and most of all the athletes.
