Each year, all the students at Bridgewater-Raritan High School gather to support their grades during what is known as a pep rally.

This year, the event was held on Friday, September 27, at Basilone Field and totaled an attendance of an estimated 2,500.

This was also the same day as the homecoming football game that evening against Ridge High School, which came to newly renovated Basilone Field and scored a 47-10 victory in the home opener for Bridgewater-Raritan.

The 2024 pep rally featured freshman through senior students who competed in a series of events such as tug of war, dizzy bat, mummy race, blow-up costume obstacle course and musical chairs. 

Once the school day had concluded and announcements were made for the release of the students to the pep rally, students swiftly gathered to get the best view of Basilone field. Participants were smiling ear-to-ear expressing their excitement to participate in the games while the students in the stands were hyping their representative peers up. 

Sophomore Elizabeth Burrell participated in the tug of war. She announced that the energy within the vicinity was extremely lively, helping her get pumped for the competition.

The sophomore team had utilized a unique tactic during tug of war: wearing gloves installed with extra grip while also removing their shoes to create additional friction. It did not necessarily give them the best chances, but it was certainly a new strategy.

“Something new [has] to be added to the rule book next year,” said Michele Mammone, one of the student council advisors, after seeing this game plan. 

Another major competition was musical chairs. The final round ended in a dramatic showdown between upperclassmen. Junior Matthew Harrison  faced off against senior Samantha Buendia for the final chair. The class of 2025 prevailed as Buendia secured the win. 

The class of 2025 came out victorious after all of the events; all of their participants rose to the occasion to show school spirit and truly compete.

The following is a list of seniors of the class of 2025 who participated in the pep rally: Nhi Vu, Sebastian Sokolnicki, Dan Ciser, Robert Simpkins, Nick St. John, Jaime Flores, Bryan Wilkinson, Ronnie Levi, Alijah Wilson, Samantha Buendia, Delia Hoffman, Cadence Testa, Jollen Dai, Gianni Genao, Jacqueline Shimko, Kylie Rodriguez, Frank Riina, and Jillian Burns.

The high school hopes to continue using events like the pep rally to raise school spirits and bring the community closer together.