Cheerleaders, student groups decorate WHS with Tiger spirit - Canton Repository

October 28, 2019 at 05:35AM

Dozens of Washington High School students decked the halls with orange and black posters in anticipation of the 130th football game between the Tigers and Canton-McKinley Bulldogs.

MASSILLON Although kickoff doesn't come until Saturday afternoon, Massillon-McKinley Week is already roaring loud inside of Washington High School. The hallways, atrium and cafeteria have been plastered with hundreds of orange and black posters, overflowing with Tiger mania.

Cheerleaders arrived about noon on Sunday to decorate the cafeteria to inspire school spirit and encourage football players in preparation for the biggest game of 2019. The Massillon Tigers are scheduled to take on the Canton-McKinley Bulldogs at 2 p.m. Saturday inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton for the 130th rivalry game.

Class advisories, such as cheerleaders, Spanish Club, French Club and Pep Club members, as well as a plethora of parents and Village Idiots spent part of their weekend decking the high school halls. Each advisory group is responsible for decorating a section.

Handmade posters cover areas of WHS with messages like "Tiger Pride is City Wide," "Bulldoze the Bulldogs,"Built Tiger Tough," and "Destroy the Dogs" are visible inside the high school. Signs with wordier slogans were also posted on walls, such as "Ran out of ideas, so here's a sign," and "I tried changing my password to 'McK,' but Gmail said it was too weak."

Each of the school's 24 cheerleaders made 19 signs to decorate the cafeteria, according to head coach Kristi Couch. Cheerleaders spent approximately six hours of Sunday plastering posters onto every section of brick wall they could access.

Couch has served as the head coach of cheerleading for seven years. As a WHS grad, she noted never missing a McKinley rivalry game, and said cheerleaders need very little training to get in the spirit of Massillon-McKinley Week.

"It's like a well-oiled machine, they just kind of get it," Couch said.

Tiger pride shines

"Spectacular" was the first word that came to freshman cheerleader Tatiauna Nelson, 14, as she experienced her first time decorating for Massillon-McKinley week as a high school student. She recalled touring the cafeteria with amazement during previous rivalry weeks as a middle school student.

"It's fantastic and impressive what they (cheerleaders) do every year here," Nelson said. "Now I get to do it, too."

WHS senior cheerleader Sydney Rice, 17, was experiencing her fourth-straight year of helping to decorate the school cafeteria. She called the process a building block of camaraderie for the group.

"The time we all spend doing this is pretty important," Rice said. "We don't get to spend too much time together outside of (football) games and practices."

Reach Steven at 330-775-1134 or at steven.grazier@indeonline.com.
On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

The Repository

Dozens of Washington High School students decked the halls with orange and black posters in anticipation of the 130th football game between the Tigers and Canton-McKinley Bulldogs.

MASSILLON Although kickoff doesn't come until Saturday afternoon, Massillon-McKinley Week is already roaring loud inside of Washington High School. The hallways, atrium and cafeteria have been plastered with hundreds of orange and black posters, overflowing with Tiger mania.

Cheerleaders arrived about noon on Sunday to decorate the cafeteria to inspire school spirit and encourage football players in preparation for the biggest game of 2019. The Massillon Tigers are scheduled to take on the Canton-McKinley Bulldogs at 2 p.m. Saturday inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton for the 130th rivalry game.

Class advisories, such as cheerleaders, Spanish Club, French Club and Pep Club members, as well as a plethora of parents and Village Idiots spent part of their weekend decking the high school halls. Each advisory group is responsible for decorating a section.

Handmade posters cover areas of WHS with messages like "Tiger Pride is City Wide," "Bulldoze the Bulldogs,"Built Tiger Tough," and "Destroy the Dogs" are visible inside the high school. Signs with wordier slogans were also posted on walls, such as "Ran out of ideas, so here's a sign," and "I tried changing my password to 'McK,' but Gmail said it was too weak."

Each of the school's 24 cheerleaders made 19 signs to decorate the cafeteria, according to head coach Kristi Couch. Cheerleaders spent approximately six hours of Sunday plastering posters onto every section of brick wall they could access.

Couch has served as the head coach of cheerleading for seven years. As a WHS grad, she noted never missing a McKinley rivalry game, and said cheerleaders need very little training to get in the spirit of Massillon-McKinley Week.

"It's like a well-oiled machine, they just kind of get it," Couch said.

Tiger pride shines

"Spectacular" was the first word that came to freshman cheerleader Tatiauna Nelson, 14, as she experienced her first time decorating for Massillon-McKinley week as a high school student. She recalled touring the cafeteria with amazement during previous rivalry weeks as a middle school student.

"It's fantastic and impressive what they (cheerleaders) do every year here," Nelson said. "Now I get to do it, too."

WHS senior cheerleader Sydney Rice, 17, was experiencing her fourth-straight year of helping to decorate the school cafeteria. She called the process a building block of camaraderie for the group.

"The time we all spend doing this is pretty important," Rice said. "We don't get to spend too much time together outside of (football) games and practices."

Reach Steven at 330-775-1134 or at steven.grazier@indeonline.com.
On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

The Repository

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