Spirit filled the gym as riled up students cheered at the annual pre-Thanksgiving Day football game pep rally on November 23.

Each class decorated their seating section with their class color, using anything from balloons and streamers to banners and signs.

As one of the event coordinators, athletic director Karrah Ellis was thrilled with the rally.

“I thought it was great,” Ellis said. “There was so much spirit.”

The Algonquin legend, former teacher, coach, and administrator Dick Walsh chose the seniors as the class with the best spirit.

“It was great, the seniors never sat down,” Walsh said.

Senior class president Brendan Foley was happy to have gotten Walsh’s vote for most spirited for the second year in a row.

“It was such an amazing atmosphere,” Foley said. “I’m so glad we won best decorations and spirit again.”

Seniors Owen Lyons and Andrew Tache hosted the pep rally, keeping students and faculty laughing and entertained.

The cheerleaders, pep band, Unified Basketball team, and Senior of the Year 2017 Zach Youseff all showed off their talents at the rally.

“It was nerve wracking but fun,” Lyons said. “The spirit was unreal.”

Ellis was impressed with how well Lyons, Tache, and all the performers did.

“Andrew Tache and Owen Lyons were outstanding MCs [masters of ceremonies],” Ellis said. “Every group that went out was outstanding.”

The pep rally got the football players excited for their last game of the season and for some seniors, their last game ever.

“It means a lot to our team and especially our seniors,” Cooley said. “For a lot of the guys it’s their last time playing football. Having everyone there supporting us is a really special thing.”

According to some seniors, this was their favorite of the four pep rallies during their time at Algonquin.

“It’s definitely more fun as a senior; there’s much more spirit,” senior Kendall Scholl said.