Rallies, House Games set stage for Crusader Games

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

The Spring Rally this month and the House Bowl in February served as the last rally and House Games, in a year where Riordan re-envisioned both the aspect of friendly competition amongst the Houses and celebrating the hard work of student athletes.

Student Activities implemented House Games each month as precursors to the Crusader Games and sports rallies returned for the first time since 2019.

Director of Student Activities Benny Willers ’08 stated, “The Provincials and I wanted to create more consistency and a sense of tradition when it comes to the House Games. We decided that we would do two in the fall and two in the spring.”

Football, cross country, volleyball, girls tennis, and girls golf were honored in the Homecoming/Fall Rally. It featured Marina Viray ’24 singing the National Anthem, a dance contest, and games such as limbo and tug of war.

Varsity volleyball player

Katelyn Leong ’25, winner of the limbo contest, recalled that she “saw the game as a fun thing to do with the team at the rally.”

September and October saw the first two House Games of the year, where the highlight was Pilar eliminating Bolts in dodgeball in under 20 seconds.

Basketball had a special celebration during the Purple & Gold Madness rally in November, where both teams showcased their skills in traditional play and in a dunk contest.

To end 2022, the third House Games in December was swept by Pilar, winning handball and a teacher edition of Musical Chairs against Bolts.

In January, the Winter Rally celebrated basketball, soccer, and wrestling. Fiona Mulderrig ’25 sang the National Anthem and students competed in a balloon relay and cotton candy relay, and faced off against the teachers in a basketball game. Wrestler Jose Aguilar ’23, winner of the cotton candy relay, stated, “I felt happy after I won, mostly because I had my teammates supporting me.”

The final House Games of this year was the House Bowl held in February. The Houses faced off in arena-style football in the gym, with a student-teacher match occurring at the end, where the students won 24-18 in overtime, earning free dress the following Tuesday. The Spring Rally honored baseball, lacrosse, boys tennis, boys golf, swimming, and track & field, as well as the cast from Fiddler on the Roof, the Robotics team, and the new Esports team. The rallies and House Games made for entertaining moments amidst the routine of school, leading up to the 2023 Crusader Games in April.