Tioga Independent School District hosted their annual Meet the Bulldogs event to celebrate the fall athletic season Aug. 15.
The Bulldogs’ faithful fans packed the stands at Bulldog Stadium as Tioga ISD’s junior high and high school athletes and band members were introduced and signed autographs for the home crowd.
Ryann Fox, Tioga athletic trainer and student council co-sponsor, who was a major part of the team that organized the event, said she was happy with how the event came together.
“We really wanted to get more community involvement and try to highlight our athletes and all their hard work, and for the first time, I think it went pretty well,” she said. “We already have ideas to improve on things for next year and have a plan to build more tradition here at Tioga.”
The event honored every level of Tioga athletic teams for the upcoming fall season, including football, volleyball, cheerleading, cross country and the Bulldog Band, as they passed through the program’s inflatable bulldog.
The Tioga Youth Sports Association also had multiple teams that were introduced at the event, showcasing the next generation of Bulldog student athletes.
“Everything went great tonight,” Tioga High School Principal Keith Kirkland said. “It’s great to get the community out here and have their support. [It] doesn’t matter if you’re a parent of an athlete or a band member; we wanted everybody out here, and I also think it was important we had our TYSA kids out here so that we could recognize them as well. That’s the foundation of a good program.”
Senior defensive back Caden Downing said he enjoyed the energy during his final time at the event as a member of the Bulldogs athletic program.
“It’s a little sad, of course, but it was a great time,” he said. “We came out here and got to make great memories for my last year, and it was awesome giving out my autograph and seeing everyone here; that made it feel special.”
Tioga athletic director and head football coach Zach Birdwell said the event served as a reminder of just how special a place Tioga is and sent his thanks to the parents for their time and support.
“We have unbelievable kids here, and we get to be excited to come to work every day,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have that, but we do, and that’s a blessing. We are extremely [fortunate] to be a small part in these kids’ journeys, but none of it would be possible without these parents, so thank you to them.”
Birdwell added this year’s Meet the Bulldogs event was a positive sign of growth for the Tioga Athletic Program as it enters its third season under his and his staff’s direction.
“It’s an awesome thing to see,” he said. We want to build an elite program here, and that truly takes everybody: the athletes, the coaches, the administration, the parents and the community, and getting to see it all come together in one night to start the year off is special to see.”
