Vestavia Students Prepare for Hoover Game With Pep Rally

Vestavia has always been known for its school spirit. From pep rallies to football games, the Vestavia Rebels know how to put on a performance. Before a game, whether it be football or basketball or volleyball or soccer, the students always demonstrate tremendous pride and spirit. They arrive on time and ready to win.

Long-lasting rivals, the Vestavia Rebels and the Hoover Buccaneers faced off on Thursday, September 8, 2022. That morning, the Vestavia Rebels held a pep rally in the main gym to raise excitement before the football game. At the main campus, each grade sported its own theme. The seniors dressed as "frat boys," wearing collared shirts and white baseball caps. The juniors wore western attire, dressed in flannels and cowboy boots. The sophomores dressed in neon, and the band wore hippie attire.

SGA President Emma Nunnelley first announced that the talent show has been brought back this year. The talent show will be a part of this year’s fall charity supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Alabama. The Mr. and Miss Vestavia nominations were announced as well. The nominees for Mr. Vestavia were Rylen Dempsey, Joe Eshleman, Ward Harris, Freddie Nelson, Luke Pappalardo, Chase Rose, Rishab Samant, and Graham Uldrich. The nominees for Miss Vestavia were Ella Clae Fulton, Mary Hogan Glenn, Kate Kaiser, Emma Nunnelley, Mary Raynor Phifer, Sarah Jane Richardson, and Lotte Wambsganss. As the band performed, the cheerleaders led the students in cheers for the football team and each grade. The students’ voices echoed off the gymnasium walls. The cheerleaders got into their formations and held up their twelve flyers, who then held up signs that spelled out "Rebels." The Varsity Rebelettes performed next. The students were thrilled to see the Majorettes make their debut at this pep rally—they impressed the crowd with their difficult tricks. Hopefully, the Majorettes will perform more often at future pep rallies.

Then, Director of Spirit Mary Raynor Phifer called students from each grade and the band to participate in the pep rally game. For this game, students lay on their backs in a line and held a beach ball between their ankles. The objective of this game was to pass the beach ball all the way across the gym without dropping it. With great efficiency and speed, the junior class won. The football coach, Robert Evans, then introduced the captains for the night’s game. He had one special request for the Hoover game: “Be as loud as possible!” Next, the cheerleaders lined up across the gym and began backflipping one after the other. Finally, it was time for each grade and the band to cheer as loud as possible to win the spirit stick. The juniors pulled through with the loudest cheer and won the spirit stick for the first time this year!

The pep rally concluded when the band played the Vestavia Alma Mater, and the seniors gathered in a circle on the court. Once again, the Rebels demonstrated pride and love for their school and football team. With every chant and cheer, the students proved what it means to be a Rebel at Vestavia Hills High School.