The roaring music of the band and the loud chatter of anxious high school students filled the gym as the celebration of the 98^th rivalry game began on Friday, October 27.

SGA brought the entire student body together at the end of the school day to partake in this year’s Bangor vs. Pen Argyl pep rally.

The pep rally started off with senior Ryan Bailey and junior Akash Sareen, announcing the upcoming events and Emily Kolankiewicz as the event coordinator.

“A pep rally is a very different, energetic environment. It can be a little nerve wracking, but I like being involved in school and the promotion of the activities we put on. I like the class cheers because everyone gets really excited and it’s a great way to unify the classes,” said senior Emily Kolankiewicz.

As the students simmered down, football captains Brandon Nemeth, Haakon Matthewson, and Seth Diorio made heartfelt speeches.

“I made sure to thank everyone who helped make Friday nights as magical as they were,” Nemeth said. “The band, cheerleaders, and the student section made games awesome.”

As the speeches concluded, the cheerleaders pumped up the entire school.

“With all of the energy in the room, the excitement you feel as a cheerleader is indescribable. You just want to do your best and cheer the loudest to get everyone as happy as you are,” junior Trinity Pongracz said.

After the band played some tunes, it was time to get down to Clash of Classes business. The games played included football toss, soccer kick, and hockey shot.

“The whole point of the games were to have each of the classes’ athletes take part in a sport they don’t play,” Sareen said.

Some Clash of Classes participants included senior Eddie Hay, junior Carmela Simineri, sophomore Brookel Sabella, and freshman Mylaina Schippers.

“I participated in the hockey shot and it was a lot of pressure going against Eddie. You always want to win for your class and get those points, but it doesn’t always happen,” Simineri said.  “I had a lot of fun and no one yelled at me, so overall it was a great experience.”

The pep rally concluded with the seniors coming out on top and winning the spirit stick, juniors came in second, sophomores in third, and the freshman class in last place.