With his knees bent, his feet planted on the free-throw line, hands gripping the bright orange ball, Jim Hermann prepares to take his first shot of the faculty free throw competition. A wave of silence washes over the gym. Hermann was joined by English teacher Kaleb Schumer and science teacher Billy Garrett for the first free throw competition between the seniors and staff.

Even with Hermann making 13 baskets, seniors Kate Hardy, Leyton Usry and Ethan Brookshire came out on top after making 33 baskets during the allotted three minutes. Despite the loss, the competition gave staff the opportunity to showcase their personalities outside of school.

“My mom used to tell me [that] I was probably good enough to be in [my] grade school’s hall of fame. [This competition is] just a chance for me to resurrect my old career. [I was excited to] show everybody that I’m not a one-trick pony that knows history backward [and] forward. I can actually go out there, and I know a bit of ball,” Hermann said.

West High’s first winter pep rally followed the Jan. 12-15 spirit week. With the assembly taking place on a West spirit day, students came dressed in red, white and Carolina blue to fill the gym. Seniors Jamaya Love and Braden Kluba emceed the event, which took place during students’ Academic Lab period.

“It was exciting. [There was a] big crowd, so I was very nervous at first. [My favorite part] was when the clock hit zero, and we all rushed onto the court. It was a great moment, especially because I transferred to West [at the beginning of the year]. It was great being welcomed so fast,” Kluba said.

The introduction of the free throw competition and the winter pep rally was more than just an opportunity for staff members to show off their skills. The idea came to be after the less-than-ideal participation in the basketball game in previous years. The game, which raised money for the athletic trainer’s office, was previously held on a Saturday, requiring additional time and transportation for students. The inconvenience led to a decrease in ticket sales and involvement from students across the building, prompting Longhorn Council (LOCO) to come up with an innovative solution.

“[Preparation for this week] actually started last year after the game didn’t work out [how we had hoped]. We discussed that [there] might be a better outcome [with more] people coming and [more] donations by having it during the school day. [LOCO], along with admin, decided to [host an additional] pep rally so we could showcase our winter athletes. For the last [few] months, we’ve been working on coming up with spirit days, banners and signs to let kids know that this is happening,” LOCO sponsor and Physical Education teacher Katelyn Arenos said.

The actual game itself followed a structure similar to regular high school basketball, with eight-minute quarters. Ultimately, the seniors came out on top with a score of 26-23.

“The game was intense and nerve-racking at first, but as soon as we all got on the court, we got very into it, and it was enjoyable. I played basketball [my] first two years of high school, so I wanted to [participate in the game] since I haven’t played in a while. It was really exciting to beat the teachers, especially as seniors [with it being one of our last pep rallies],” Hardy said.