On January 27, NDB hosted the Woodside Priory HS Panthers in the annual Catfight basketball games in the Moore Pavillion. The varsity team played at 6 p.m., and the game had been advertised all week as a spirit event that would award the classes with the highest attendance spirit points, cookies and early dismissal for lunch. Despite the energetic crowd of NDB supporters, the Panthers pulled away after a close game, and the Tigers lost 38-47.

The varsity game also served as the Spirit Squad’s senior night. The nine seniors on the Spirit Squad were recognized in between the JV and Varsity games. The seniors, accompanied by their family members, walked through a tunnel made by their teammates and were greeted with flowers and posters before taking a photo with their coaches. After the ceremony, the cheerleaders lined up in their game-day lines, preparing to cheer on the varsity Tigers.

“I enjoyed being recognized during the Catfight game,” said senior Mabelle Joudieh. “Honestly, cheer is not paid as much attention when compared to other sports at this school, and a lot of people misinterpret what we actually do. Being recognized totally made it feel so worth it, especially performing at halftime because everyone could see just how much we do and what it takes to be a cheerleader.”

After the tip-off, the game began and the score remained close throughout the first half. Every few possessions, the Panthers would break ahead, but the Tigers fought back each time, so the team in the lead was constantly changing. By halftime, the Tigers were down by just two points with a score of 21-23.

During the break, the varsity Spirit Squad teams performed their halftime routines which were filled with energy and got the growing crowd excited for the second half.

“Being in the crowd during the game was so fun. The game was intense so people were very invested,” shared junior Katie Johnson. “You could feel that everyone was enjoying watching the game!”

Following the routines, ASB led a raffle to decide which fans would participate in the free throw competition. Seniors Melanie Castelli and Lola Sanguinetti were chosen, and Sanguenetti came out on top and was rewarded a Starbucks gift card.

Throughout the third quarter, the teams were still neck and neck, but after a hard fight, the Panthers’ run in the last quarter left the final score at 38-47.

Despite their loss, the varsity team fought hard and appreciated the support from the student body during the game.

“I personally thought that it brought a lot of energy to our team, especially being able to hear everyone excited when we made a good play,” said Julia Oliviera-Killmon, starting junior. “I think it’s great when the NDB community supports each other through sports.”

The Catfight games and the celebration of Spirit Squad senior night were made special because of the overwhelming support and encouragement from the NDB community.