Lakes, Antioch students show spirit in morning pep rally
It was loud, maybe it was way too loud for 6 a.m.
But, the 1,200 students and faculty members screaming at the top of their lungs for a couple of video cameras inside the gymnasium at Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa didn't seem to mind that the noise was deafening.
They reveled in it.
With 600 supporters of Lakes' Eagles football team staring directly across the gym at 600 supporters of the Antioch High School Sequoits football team, it became a duel to see who could cheer their teams as both schools were featured on the NBC 5 Today morning news as the “Prep Destination of the Week.”
Adding to the excitement was that the game scheduled tonight is to determine the front-runner of the Prairie Division of the North Suburban Conference, and also happens to be Lakes' homecoming game.
“This is a lot of fun,” said Antioch-Lake Villa Area High School District District 117 co-Superintendent Mike Nekritz, who screamed as loud as possible trying to be heard over the blaring sounds of the students. “This is what high school football is all about. It's a great thing for the district, and great fun for the students.”
Students from both of District 117's high schools were asked to show support for their respective schools by arriving at Lakes at 5:30 a.m. dressed in their best spirit garb, carrying homemade signs of support, and to scream as loudly as possible when the cameras went live.
That display was played out on live television during segments of NBC 5's morning newscast.
NBC 5 announced Wednesday the two schools would be the featured prep game of the week following an online vote on the newscast's Facebook website. The Antioch-Lakes game edged out the football game between Batavia and Geneva by 100 votes, officials said.
Nekritz said the crowd was respectful of each other during the dual-pep rally, and no signs of a potential problems arose in the early morning hours.
“It's really a great feeling in here,” he said. “Both schools have been respectful of each other, and it's going to be a great game tonight.”
This is the eighth meeting between the schools on the gridiron, and the first where both teams are fighting for first place.
Antioch teacher Laura Tielke said it was “awesome” to watch the bands from both schools playing mere feet apart as students riled up the crowd with chants and hand motions.
“I really couldn't be more proud of our student cheering sections,” she said. “There has been such a buzz throughout both schools all week, and having it come to this is just awesome.”