Pack the House with Highlander Athletics

Following the success of a huge, school-wide pep rally, the St. Andrew’s Athletic Department is in the midst of planning some more fun athletic events for the school year. With the expansion of his reach to the 31st Street campus and a new joint football team with St. Stephen’s, this is going to be the biggest year ever for St. Andrew’s Athletics. Associate Athletic Director Josh Blumenthal is the mastermind behind the whole operation and wants to give students the scoop on what’s to come.

The pep rally on September 17 was a big success, helping to grow the new Highlander brand with custom volleyballs and souvenir cups going out to those in attendance. Almost half of the school from all three campuses attended this event and enjoyed barbecue, a live band, and a cheerleading performance from the Austin Saints cheerleaders. “I think it was a fun atmosphere, and I don’t think it was a regular meeting with the usual ‘do’s and don’ts,’” said Blumenthal, “It was really just a time to come and celebrate athletics together.”

Looking forward to Homecoming on October 26, more history is being made. Alongside the Saints football game, there will be field hockey and volleyball. Football, cheer, field hockey, and volleyball all will be celebrating their Senior Nights that Friday. This will be the last home game of the season for the Saints, and they’re taking on interstate rival Casady, from Oklahoma. “There’s also an alumni weekend going on as well, so it’s going to bring a lot of people to campus,” said Blumenthal. Another new feature to this year’s Homecoming will be the Homecoming Dance, a long-awaited addition to the schedule. It was noted that both purple and blue are acceptable colors in terms of attire.

To improve the fan experience this year, Highlander Athletics is introducing a new program called Pack the House. These are the marquee games featuring either the most notable opponents or special promotions like the Silent Night game with the signature costume contest or this year’s Re-Lax day, where fans are encouraged to dress as lacrosse players, and they’ll receive a free pinnie. “For those that go there, like the girl’s Dig Pink game, I’ll be announcing as well as doing pump-up music. So just trying to create more of an atmosphere,” said Blumenthal. “Our hope with these Pack the House events is that people come to a party, and an athletic event broke out, not the other way around.” For those that cannot attend Pack the House, these events will be livestreamed from various media outlets, and information on where they can be watched will be on the @sashighlanders page. Throughout the year, there will be a variety of other events, as Highlander Athletics expands to the 31st Street Campus.

Although not an athletic victory, over the summer, the Lonestar Christian Sports Network announced that the @sashighlanders social media accounts were voted number one in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. “The fact that we’re coming in first in that will hopefully lead the way to teams coming up, and we’re excited about that so we’re going to keep ramping it up,” said Blumenthal.

With big plans in store, Highlander Athletics is ready for their biggest year yet, and can’t wait for y’all to cheer them on at the Pack the House events.