It is that time of year when the battle of the top Varsity basketball teams go head to head. The Jungle Game is an annual game where Serra HS goes against SI HS to win in a series of West Catholic Athletic Leagues (WCAL) games. The Serra HS basketball team will host SI, and the games are always a sellout. This year, the game is on February 14 and is the last game of the Serra Varsity basketball season. The tradition of the Jungle Game is four-decades-long, emphasizing its importance to the two varsity teams, as well as the fans who annually attend.

Since the game is so popular, the tickets are won through a lottery, meaning that no fans can have an advantage over another in winning tickets. Ticket winners are essentially decided through a random draw, but plenty of NDBstudents still end up scoring seats and representing Serra’s sister school at the game. At Serra, tickets are only offered to the senior class, however many underclassmen frantically attempt to secure a seat.

“Every year, besides my sophomore year because of COVID, I have gone to the Jungle Game at Serra,“ said senior Sofia Panagrossi. “The energy of the game was unlike something I had ever seen before. The bleachers were visibly shaking because of the amount of students jumping up and down, it was extremely loud from all of the cheering, and everyone was having a good time. I loved the school spirit and knew right away from the first time I went as a freshman that I wanted to keep on coming back.”

The game is followed by a national anthem performance and a senior night celebration, where the Serra senior athletes are honored for their dedication and excellence in sports. During the halftime of the game, the NDB Varsity Cheer and Pom teams will perform their routines on the basketball court to hype up the crowd. It is an unforgettable experience for both Spirit Squads to cheer and dance for Serra, and also showcase their routines that they have been working on all season long.

“The first time I went to the Jungle Game I was a sophomore and it was very overwhelming,” shared Varsity Pom Dancer Lucy Wood. “There were a lot of people at the game. However, it made our pom performance all the more fun because we had a big audience!”

A lot of excitement comes with the annual Serra Jungle Game, as it arguably holds the title of the highest anticipated game of Serra HS’s basketball season. While it is a basketball game between Serra HS and SI HS, it is still a memorable event for NDB students to be a part of, whether that be through the Tri-school band, singing the National Anthem, or cheering for the team.