The first pep rally of the year was full of people having fun and supporting Durant. One of the top things every high schooler looks forward to is their first pep rally of the school year, especially freshmen and seniors. For the freshmen, this was their first ever high school pep rally and for the seniors it’s one of their last ever high school pep rallies so there was a lot of emotion and passion during this pep rally.

From Head Football Coach Clayton Varnum hyping up the crowd to a skit showcasing the rivalry between Durant and Newsome, there was plenty to get excited about. The crowd was full of energy as the Newsome wolves were booed out of the gym trying to scare the Durant Cougar mascot.

Pep rallies require a lot of teamwork and planning from many people like administrators, student government and the student councils. “Pep rallies take about 2-3 weeks of planning to make sure everyone participating is on board with our plan,” said SGA Member Macyn Graham about the process of setting up this year’s first pep rally. “We hope the first pep rally brings excitement about our rival game and gets the underclassmen more exposure to Durant,” continued Graham.

The student body was there and full of energy for their first pep rally of the new school year. “I was looking forward to seeing all of the class spirit from each grade and the new games that students would be able to participate in,” said junior Shelina Persad. “My favorite part of the pep rally was the cheering from all of the grade levels and the embracing of the school spirit for Durant,” continued Persad.

The pep rally was full of people showing energy for the games and performances from Durant’s Cheer Team and D-Crew. The senior class of 2023 won the spirit stick for their full burst of energy that day. It was a pep rally to remember, set up by amazing people both behind and in front of the scenes. Let’s hope the next pep rally is even better.