by Avie Hopcraft
Catoctin High School (CHS) has been bustling with energy. Fall sports are ending and the signups for winter sports are piling up. So far, varsity soccer, volleyball, football, cross country, basketball, and field hockey have had their last home games and playoffs are wrapping up the season.

To top off the season, the Cheerleader team placed fourth in the nation at a major competition. Senior, Payne Harrison, qualified for Allstate football, and was selected to participate in the 2015 Maryland AllStar Crab Bowl. The Catoctin Lady Cougars Cross Country team finished third at State meet. The high school’s Drama Club has recently casted a wonderful and humorous play, Humble Town.

So far this year, Catoctin’s clubs have played a major role in the school’s activities. They’ve inspired students to interact with other students, teachers, staff, and even the community. The Leo Club just started a can-collecting fundraiser to support the food drive, giving it a catchy and quirky name, “Feed the Hunger Games.”

The Catoctin Crazies Club have also been spunky lately, lifting the spirits of the high school students.

Many new clubs were established this year, and each student, individually, can obtain four clubs because of the step program. Almost fifty students can choose from a menu of fifty clubs at CHS. The clubs range from just dancing to spreading the love of neckties! The program allows a forty-minute period every day that can be used for a study hall or for activities in support of a club. Then, Thursdays are club days!

One club, in particular, has influenced school spirit so much that it’s called the Catoctin Spirit Club. Their mission is to bring school spirit back! Mrs. Kim Flabbi, one of the directors of the club and a Special Needs Assistant at CHS, said, “It all started with a home game with Walkersville.” She explained that Walkersville had at least fifty high school students involved in their Spirit Club and they took up our whole field, marching on Catoctin’s grass, taking off with their own school spirit theme. This course of action made Catoctin’s students realize that they needed to step it up a notch.

Spirit Club advisors decided to incorporate a spirit activity twice a month at Catoctin’s home football games to get students more involved and make it more special. With this decision, members have decided to have a football tournament called, “Powder Puff,” but the junior and senior girls are going to play the game, with the boys cheering on the sidelines. The seniors compete first, and the winning team will play against the staff team. You’ll want to see this! There’s a staff cheerleader team consisting of three teachers/staff, including Mr. Allen, assistant principal at CHS. Powder Puff is just one of the many activities that will be occurring at the home games of Catoctin. Many more great ideas are to come to help encourage and spread school spirit.

On top of all this frenzied spirit change, the Catoctin Crazies Club members have discussed getting spirit buses for the students who want to attend away games; they just need more involvement from the students to ramp up some school spirit.

Mrs. Flabbi sends thanks to all the people who willingly helped the Powder Puff become possible. Thanks to CHS Principal Bernard Quesada; Athletic Director Kevin ‘Mac’ MacMullen; and administrative assistants, Mrs. Naff and Mrs. Zentz for being her go-to people and helping with the organization of these clubs.

Come on community and Catoctin High School students, let’s bring the spirit on!