Although it was still dark outside when EHS students arrived at school for the KSDK Prep Rally, lack of sleep proved to be no factor in how much Tiger spirit EHS students could show.

Hundreds of students took to the Lucco Jackson Gym at 5:45 a.m. on Friday as EHS was chosen as the feature school for KSDK’s Today in St. Louis’s Prep Rally of the week.

StuCo members worked to insure a large turnout at the sunrise rally plastering social media with why students should wake up early and even offered free coffee and donuts to all attendees.

“This pep rally was a really awesome opportunity for the school but we all realized that 5:45 is very early for high school students,” senior StuCo president Katie Frick said. “That is why we offered the donuts and coffee as an incentive to wake up early.”

Dressed in orange and black from head to toe, students proved that it is never too early to show their school spirit.

“I enjoyed the fact that everybody was so excited and pumped up for the game so that was cool to see,” junior Margaret Curtis said. “My friends and I decided to deck out in everything orange and black for the pep rally, too, so that was fun.”

As the ever familiar Tiger chants rang throughout the gym, KSDK reporter Ryan Dean recognized Edwardsville as the the biggest turnout he had ever seen for the high school prep rally.

However, students were not surprised.

“[The turnout] shows that we are truly the premiere high school in the southern Illinois and that we have the best student section,” freshman Lauren Hangsleben said.

The Tigers will have another opportunity to show their spirit when Fox2 news films their Prep Zone at EHS on Oct. 16 as the Tigers gear up for the Homecoming matchup with Alton. The expectations for the second rally are only being set higher.

“The Fox2 news rally before the homecoming game is such a tradition for the high school now,” Frick said. “We are expecting almost twice as many people to attend that pep rally.”

Being the first major event of the year, it was the first time new students and freshmen got to experience Tiger Pride in its truest form.

“Going to the pep rally and seeing how many people come out to support definitely makes you catch some pride in your school,” Hangsleben said.