For those who missed out on the excitement surrounding Paly’s varsity boys basketball win against Mater Dei in the Division II CIF state basketball championship, be prepared for a revival of the vitality.
In honor of the Vikings’ capture of the state title, the student council is organizing a lunch rally on Monday, March 27 in the quad.
“We’ve talked to the basketball team and [Coach] Diepenbrock and they will be there,” said sophomore student body president Mohammed Abid, who is overseeing the festivities.
In spite of the rally, there will be no extended lunch period. According to Abid, the student council decided not to adjust the school schedule as the rally was planned on such short notice.
To invigorate the celebration, Paly’s pep band will be playing in the back while the cheerleaders help rouse the crowd.
“The rally on Monday will be for the whole school to celebrate the team, the captains to give a speech and for the entire school to realize how big a state championship is,” Abid said.
Since the majority of Paly students did not attend the championship game at Sacramento’s Arco Arena, the student council wants to recreate the energized mood for the whole student body to experience.
“We want the thought of Paly being state champs to remain fresh in students’ minds when we have the rally,” Abid said. “The rally is for the entire school and it serves quite a few purposes.”
The members of the student council were originally planning to conduct a more official ceremony when the victory banner arrived. However, the school has not even received the banner for the Vikings’ triumph over Archbishop Mitty in the Division II Central Coast Section (CCS) championship game which took place two weeks prior to the state championship game.
According to Abid, the school has to actually purchase the state championship banner before it is delivered.
“The only thing the team and school get from the state is the game ball and the plaque,” Abid said. “Student council doesn’t buy the banner, but I’m not quite sure who in the school is in charge of that.”
For the time being, Abid and the rest of the council simply want Paly to bask in its current glory.
“We are hoping to have another, more formal celebration to hang the banner up when it does arrive,” Abid said.