On Friday, August 24, Meet the Tigers kicked off Herrin’s fall sports season. Meet the Tigers is a town favorite event that takes place a week before the first football game. It showcases the athletes of HHS to the community and allows for many fun moments throughout the evening.
The teams that were introduced were boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, boys soccer, cheer, dance, flag, volleyball, football, girls tennis, and band. After the introduction of fall sports teams, the tigerettes, cheer, and flag teams all performed their routines. To conclude the evening, the football players faced off against each other for a scrimmage. The freshman played first, followed by the starters. The evening also included free hot dogs, Buffalo Wild Wings, and snow cones, as well as t-shirts for sale from R-House.
This week is filled with season openers for many Herrin athletics teams. Athletic Director Stephanie Allen expressed her excitement to get sports started this year. “I love the fall Meet the Tigers events because they kick off the whole school year and create excitement throughout HHS and the whole community.”
Even those who aren’t in fall sports can participate by showing up and cheering at games. Pep club presidents Meadow Lerner and Sidnee Nelson said, “The bigger the better, we want it bigger than ever before. We need more cheers, better bonding, and interaction with the spirit teams.”
Herrin football’s new head coach, Nathan Lieber, emphasized some expectations and goals for this upcoming season. “I think we’re going to be the young team, but we’re going to get better throughout the year. A couple of months ago, we had workouts, and our guys have bought in from the get-go. There will be some growing pains if you’re a young team, but we’re going to get better every single day at practice and progress through the year.” Coach Lieber is excited about this upcoming season. Even though the team is young, he sees this as an opportunity to rebuild.
As high school students, parents, and players are preparing for the upcoming seasons, HHS kicks off a busy but highly anticipated next few months. Stay tuned to the Tiger Tattler for more updates and events.
