Gables Pride Swells at Alma Mater Pep Rally

Tiffany Beh and Avril Donner|Sep 26, 2022

This year’s Cav Man, Armando Camejo, was introduced at the first pep rally of the school year.

At the first pep rally of the 2022-2023 school year, 500 Cavaliers packed into the gymnasium ready to showcase their Coral Gables Senior High pride. Red flooded the gym, and creative posters were waved in the air, ready for the rally to start on the afternoon of Sept. 22.

Arriving at school before 7:15 a.m., groups of students lined up in front of the designated classrooms, carrying posters and spirit gear in hopes of receiving a ticket before the distributing teachers ran out. After receiving a ticket and waiting eagerly for the time to come, students decked out in red could be seen in the hallways throughout the day.

The roar of the student body echoed as the pep rally commenced during eighth period. Seniors Helena Macedo and Julio Bonjoch made their first-ever appearances as this year’s pep rally hosts. After hyping students up, Macedo announced that the brand new Cav Man would soon be introduced.

“

Being one of the hosts was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve always been super involved since freshman year, and when I was told that I was going to be one of the hosts, I was so happy that I wouldn’t stop talking about it. Seeing my friends and my teachers proud of me and telling me I did a good job made me so so happy. I would do it all over again just so I could have the feeling of doing it for the first time,

— senior Helena Macedo

The crowd went wild with anticipation, shaking their posters and awaiting his special appearance. To students’ surprise, freshman Rafael Hanono ran out, all eyes on him. Shocking the crowd, he spun, flaunting his cape that read “Baby Cav Man”. Not a moment too soon, senior Armando Camejo sprinted out of the shadows, and the crowd erupted at the sight of their actual Cav Man.

“My favorite part of this pep rally was when Baby Cav Boy and Cav Man were revealed. The suspense and adrenaline everyone had in the gym made it even better,” sophomore Virginia Gozalo said.

Ready for the next activity, Cavaliers noted a single stool at the center of the gym floor. Coach Strachan walked to center stage and sat down, and after a three-second countdown, senior Christian Sanchez pulled his hand back and pied Strachan in the face. For the second round, the crowd shouted louder when Gables security officer Yanet Gonzalez switched places with Strachan, getting a face full of whipped cream courtesy of senior Carla Nuñez.

Bringing all communities at Gables together, senior Raphael Sans Jr. then emerged from the crowd to introduce representatives of each fall sport: bowling, volleyball, cross country and golf. Mariam Aguilar and Sam Sommer were called to represent the Gables bowling team. Representing volleyball, seniors Avery Felix and Julie Maldonado emerged into the spotlight. Seniors Ariadna Torras, Isabella Morales and Marcos Algeciras showed up for cross country. For golf, seniors Sofia Cruz and Sans were announced.

One member from each sport was then strapped into an inflatable bumper ball to race and compete for bragging rights. First up was Algeciras against Felix, which ended in a quick defeat for Algeciras. The final victors were Felix, Sans and Aguilar. The crowd cheered for their favorite sport, hoping that they would win. Ultimately, Sans won, representing golf. The celebratory screams could be heard from outside the gym.

Then, a duet with the Gablettes and the cheer team followed the games. Including some flying stunts and synchronized dancing, they hyped up the crowd, garnering applause throughout the entire show. The groups ended their performance with a loud and long holler from the Cavaliers.

“The energy in the pep rally was amazing. Everyone was really hyped and excited about it and that energy was so contagious, so it made the experience so much better,” freshman Yara Korse said.

The pep rally ended with hosts Macedo and Bonjoch choosing the four groups with the best posters among the crowd. As they went along the bleachers looking, Cavaliers cheered, vying for their attention. The four chosen groups stood in the middle showing off their brightly colored posters and the crowd cheered for the poster they liked best.

Winner Francisco Sarria’s poster portrayed an intricate ink portrait of a Cavalier drawn himself. With that, the alma mater pep rally ended, but the Cavalier pride soared throughout the gym and out into the hallways.