Sophomore wide receiver Jaelin Ricks makes his way down the field while avoiding the red squad in the scrimmage.
Sophomore wide receiver Jaelin Ricks makes his way down the field while avoiding the red squad in the scrimmage.

 

ALTON - After heading back to school on Thursday, the students and facultyAlton High School are ready to get back into the swing of the school year. Fortunately for the sports fans the school and in the community, that means packing the stands on Friday night at Public School Stadium

In their annual Fall Sports Kick-Off Night, the athletes and their coaches were formally introduced to their fans with a series of scrimmages and expositions. Though the games were noncompetitive, it did not stop the players from showing each other and their peers in the crowd what their teams and groups can do. 

Athletic Director Jeff Alderman is ready to see his school's athletes perform throughout the next several weeks. 

"It's a neat event for our our community," he said. "It's neat for our kids to show off what they've been working on for the past couple weeks and kind of get the jitters out of their system before next Friday or whenever their games may be and recognize them. It's a nice way to start off the new school year."

 

The Alton Lady Redbirds Volleyball Team kicked off the night inside West Elementary School with their scrimmage.
The Alton Lady Redbirds Volleyball Team kicked off the night inside West Elementary School with their scrimmage.
To kick off the night, the girls volleyball team headed into the gymnasium insideWest Elementary School to show their fans and families what they had to offer this season. On Monday, Aug. 22, the varsity team will head to Columbia High School to compete in their first match of the season. The Lady Redbirds will host their Alton Invitational Tournament onFriday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10. 

 

As the Lady Redbirds played their noncompetitive match, the boys soccer team hit the field for their scrimmage. The boys, under the direction of new coach and alumni player Nick Funk, performed with intensity and drive. Their season will kick off on Friday, Aug. 26 where they will host theirRound Robin Tournament on the new soccer field behind the high school. 

 

The Alton High School Marching 100 performed two movements from their field show performance entitled
The Alton High School Marching 100 performed two movements from their field show performance entitled
Between scrimmages, the cross country, boys and girls golf, girls tennis, cheer and dance squads as well as the football teams greeted the audience with their coaches for their introductions. 

 

Led by band director Alyssa Cudney, the Marching 100 brought a portion of their field show routine, entitled "Trance," to their audience for the first time. Featuring a solo by a bass clarinet player, a dazzling routine by the color guard and an astonishing drum line breakdown, the band of over 160 members will surely stun their competition along with their fans in the crowd with their full show in the weeks to come. 

In the night's main event, the football teams headed out to the field for two separate scrimmages. While the varsity squad took some time to work out some kinks in their offense, their defense seems to be getting stronger by the day. The team will travel on Friday, Aug. 26 to Rock Island High School to face the Rocks in their first game of the season.

"We're excited about our football program," Alderman mentioned. "They're still young. We're excited that they're learning to complete. There is an awful lot of talent there and we are excited about that and the coaches are working hard." 

 

The boys soccer team kicked off the night outside at Public School Stadium for their scrimmages.
The boys soccer team kicked off the night outside at Public School Stadium for their scrimmages.

 

Click here to view more photos from the Alton High School Fall Sports Kick-Off Night... 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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