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St. Christine football teams get back to tradition
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .A group of St. Christine students showed their Crusader pride as night fell on their Sept. 6 bonfire.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .The boys of the seventh- and eighth-grade Crusader football team showed their team spirit during their Sept. 6 bonfire.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .A group of Crusaders cheerleaders wore purple and gold with pride before their Sept. 6 bonfire and pep rally began.
By SARAH FOOR
Last year, the seventh and eighth-grade North Catholic Wildcat football teams at St. Christine School were awash in blue and white. But after a year of hard work and support from the St. Christine community and parents, the teams’ nickname experienced a rebirth. They now go by the St. Christine Crusaders.
On Sept. 6, the school celebrated the change with a bonfire and pep rally, to leave behind the Wildcats and decorate the school with the Crusaders’ purple and gold.
The transformation was both a new era for the school, as well as a return to established tradition. The athletes at St. Christine School were longtime Crusaders until the smaller size of teams obligated St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Christine, St. Joseph the Provider, St. Patrick Hubbard and St. Rose to team up to form the Wildcats.
But with increased interest in the St. Christine football program and an invitation for parish members to join the team, the seventh- and eighth-grade boys were able to declare their independence and become Crusaders once again. “For a lot of our families, I think it feels a bit like coming home,” said St. Christine principal Doreen DeMarco. “Today is possible because of a lot of hard work from our coaches, parents and students. It even feels fitting to welcome back our bonfire — it’s something we gave up for many years, but it’s great to bring back that old tradition in light of the change.”
The new Crusaders received a victory bell for games and their own locker room, a space that coaches and Crusader dads spent all summer clearing and cleaning.
During the Sept. 6 event, St. Christine cheerleaders welcomed the sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade Crusader teams. A huge bonfire burned late into the night and families enjoyed food and beverages as they supported their teams.
“It’s a new beginning at St. Christine’s and it’s all very exciting,” said teacher Mary Ann Huzicka during the celebration.