By Kyle Roberts

It may have been a hot Friday night, but that didn’t stop hundreds of community members from coming to the RHS main gym to cheer on the repeat state champion Ruston High Bearcat football team and various fan groups.

“We had a great turnout, some of our organizations made some money and a lot of kids were recognized,” said Dan Gressett, principal of Ruston High School. “It was great to see so many people come out to support Ruston High School. I want to thank the people who put in so much work to make this possible.”

Outside the gymnasium, nearly a dozen vendors sold various goods in the Bearcat Village, which was set up in the parking lot right next to the main staircase.

Todd and Amanda DeMoss coordinated the merchandise booths to introduce gear and other Bearcat items to the community in advance of the upcoming season.

“I thought our first Bearcat Village was a huge success and a great addition to Bearcat Madness,” said Amanda DeMoss. “Todd and I had so much fun putting it all together, and it was a great way for our RHS organizations and sports teams to promote their booster clubs by providing fans a place to purchase Ruston gear and come together as a community.”

“We had a wonderful team and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Inside, the school held a cheer rally and introduced all of the players, fan groups and band members. DeMoss said that was her favorite part of the night.

Todd DeMoss wanted to thank all supporters for helping to make the event possible and invited fans to come to the upcoming Friday Night Lights Community Kickoff.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Blue Bell for sponsoring the Ice Cream Social at Bearcat Madness. Hunter Carswell and the team at Blue Bell generously gave away 1,000 ice cream cones for Bearcat fans to enjoy after shopping at Bearcat Village,” said Todd. “And Brandon Forester and his team at Q94.1 brought Bearcat Madness to life live on the airwaves. On Friday they broadcast a three-hour live broadcast from the Village.

“From the microphone at the pep rally, seniors Aiden Anding, Josh Brantley and Zheric Hill thanked our Bearcat community for coming out to support Bearcat Madness. The 2023 State Champions Bearcats have enjoyed your support and say, “Thank you!”

Ruston begins the regular season on Friday, September 6, at home against Acadiana.