La Cueva Bears
Photo by Army National Guard
Nestled right near the base of a mountain lies
La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M.; a school that is no stranger to sports excellence. The MaxPreps Tour of Champions and the New Mexico Army National Guard trekked through the desert to honor both the girls and boys soccer teams, as they were able to finish seventh and twenty-seventh in the nation, respectively. Walking into the school we had a feeling there was something different but special about the school. From the taxidermy bears to students walking around in outlandish costumes, it all gave off the vibe that it was going to be a very fun day.
Even though it was a pep rally to recognize all spring teams, it was the two fall teams of girls and boys soccer that took center stage. Chris Stonebreaker of MaxPreps got things started by listing the numerous achievements that both teams had accomplished; not only during this most recent season, but also in seasons past. With the girls team positioned on the left and the boys on the right, Chris handed the program over to Command Sergeant Major Alex Garcia who would eventually present the two Army National Guard national ranking trophies to Coach Amber Ashcraft and Coach Kevin Driggs and their respective teams.
CSM Garcia wasn't the only member from the New Mexico Army National Guard to come out to La Cueva on this occasion; fellow members SSG Richard Trujillo, SSG Rick Navanrette, SFC Paul Modesto, and SSG Richard Ganster joined him. After speaking briefly about some of the traits that goes into making a successful team like La Cueva's soccer teams, CSM Garcia presented them with their Minuteman trophies and Nationally Ranked banners.
After the trophy presentation, the pep rally was then taken to another level; having been apart of pep rallies while in high school and most recently on the Tour of Champions, we can safely say that La Cueva had the most fun and energy with theirs. Besides each spring team getting their own moment, there was a high-energy performance from the cheerleading squad and a spoof of the popular Macklemore song, "Thrift Shop".
The song and video featured the spring sports teams each taking turns saying verses throughout the school and on the sports fields. It even culminated with one of the members of the baseball team being driven in a golf cart around the gym playing the main riff to the song on a saxophone. But by far the most exciting part of the pep rally was when the school participated in the popular dance, "The Harlem Shake."
While dancing in the center of the basketball court with a cheese head on, Principal Todd Resch took on the role of the solo dancer as the words "do the Harlem shake" came across the PA system. On cue and in the blink of an eye, the entire basketball court was filled with students dressed in crazy costumes and dancing around. In our opinion, it was the perfect way to end the perfect pep rally. La Cueva High School, without a doubt, set the bar for future tour stops to come.
