The Tornado Alley: The Casady Student Section Instagram
The music is blaring, the student section is yelling, and there are posters throughout the crowd. This is the reason Jack Morgan (‘23) started his Student Section Instagram account. The number of people attending the games had been dwindling in recent years, partly due to Covid, but also because people weren't having fun. Once Jack Morgan created the account and followers started pouring in, it looked like the attendance of every home sports game had increased. Casady giving spirit days when a certain number of students attend a game may have also helped increase the attendance. Jack believed that “athletics programs at Casady were not properly covered by official media accounts and we wanted to change that.”
Lately, the Casady student section has been more energized than ever, thanks to the Tornado Alley. From congratulating the Players of the Week (POTW) to making sure their followers know when the games are, the Instagram account makes sure students are excited for the upcoming games, regardless of the sport. Even though Casady has its own athlete of the week, the Alley decided to give out their own, because they feel as though Casady's award isn't as accurate as possible. The Alley's award is solely based on an athlete's performance in-game, no matter if they have already been POTW recently. For example, Larry Mathis (‘23) has won the POTW back-to-back after finishing first at two different cross-country meets by a landslide.
It’s already an indisputable fact that Jack Morgan has helped increase the attendance and “hypeness” of the student section. The student section totaled more than 100 students at the football game against Crossings. As a dedicated leader, Morgan is always brainstorming new ideas. For example, he is trying to set up a “routinely pre-football game, Friday evening tailgate with grilled food and music right after the conclusion of Friday practice” to ensure the Casady students get the absolute best experiences possible. If you want to support Jack Morgan in his efforts, look no further than the Instagram of the Student Section. He says that he is “working on a few merchandise drops and other fundraising ideas.” To reward all of the amazing students that come to support their teams, the Alley will soon be holding raffles. In case you didn’t know, Instagram’s name has been changed from the Swamp to the Tornado Alley. Once Jack realized people didn’t like the name "Swamp," they decided to send out an Instagram poll for a name change. Another reason for this name change could have been potential copyright violations from the University of Florida. Once again, they showed their commitment to keeping Casady students entertained by changing even the little things to be better.
The Alley has actually become an official club recently. Brannon Crossno, Director of Communications at Casady, recognized their role at Casady sports outings by allowing the Alley to become an official Casady club. If you want to be a part of this enticing club, make sure to follow them on Instagram (@chs.thealley) to be on the lookout because, according to Morgan, “we’re working on structuring leadership positions and other roles within the club and will officially accept members in the next couple months.”
Note: Player of the Week so far has been given to Connor Phelps (‘24), Kyler Scoville (‘22), and Larry Mathis (‘23) who won the award back to back.