Taco Shack XXIII was full of high energy with festivities beforehand including an exciting pep rally and a spirit contest the morning of Taco Shack with performances from band, Blue Brigade and the cheer team, and an intense game which more plot twists than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Unlike the past two Taco Shack Bowls, these Knights competed for four quarters keeping the game close until the clock ran out of a 57-40 Anderson victory.

Taco Shack’s traditions were kept alive this year, with the 23rd annual spirit contest at the Taco Shack on North Lamar hosted the morning of the game by Blue Brigade, cheer, and the drum line. Also keeping with tradition, the Wednesday night before the game, the cheer team helped to decorate the North Lamar Taco Shack.

Many students displayed their spirit by sporting tropical-themed clothing, and cheering at the pep rally in anticipation of the game; for many seniors, however, Taco Shack 2024 was bittersweet, as it marked their last Taco Shack experience as a Knight. 

We are proud to share many moments from the entire Taco Shack experience as this week’s Tuesday Top 10.

A TACO SHACK EVE TRADITION: The Wednesday night before the annual Taco Shack football game against Anderson High School, Blue Brigade and cheer team seniors met at the Taco Shack on North Lamar to decorate the restaurant.

For senior cheerleader Mary Mae Forsyth, the tradition is something she has looked forward to during her time as a cheerleader.

“This definitely gave the seniors a chance to get on the same page,” Forsyth said. “We [were] excited for our team to see all the decorations and school spirit.”

Senior Blue Brigade Captain Catherine Haikola, shared the sentiment. According to Haikola, decorating was a special part of senior season that both the cheer team and Blue Brigade mark on their calendar months in advance.

“The overall purpose of decorating is to show how strong our school spirit is,” Haikola said. “It felt surreal to be decorating the Taco Shack, knowing that this is our last Taco Shack football game. It’s bittersweet, but it was a fun experience.”

The decorated Taco Shack found its place on the KXAN news broadcast early the next morning when the results of the spirit contest between the two schools were announced. While McCallum lost by a small margin, the cheer team and Blue Brigade connected over their decorating session.

“This year’s decorating was very special because of the hope of breaking our losing streak and winning Taco Shack,” Forsyth said.

According to Forsyth, the participation of all the senior members of Blue Brigade and the cheer team is essential to bringing up the spirit of the school.

“It’s very important for both cheer and Blue Brigade to not only participate but to encourage and engage others into participating,” Forsyth said. “It gets all the players fired up and initiates the high spirits of the game.”

Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Tristen Diaz.

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER: Early in the fourth quarter, senior quarterback Luke Dunham drops in the pocket, going through his progressions to complete a pass downfield. Dunham said the varsity boys gave it everything they had, especially the seniors for their final Taco Shack Bowl.

“We played decently; we executed well enough, but we have things to improve on throughout the season,” Dunham said. “[Senior] Mark Sanchez was our leader, making plays on both sides of the ball, and you could see that he wanted it, which made other guys follow.”

The Knights found themselves trailing the entirety of the game, but every time Anderson struck, Dunham and the Knights had an answer. After senior Devon Robinson took a kickoff return to the house with a minute left in the first quarter, Dunham said the bench was electric.

“All of the seniors, AJ Woolf, Mark, Devon Robinson, Jaiden Booe, myself, Joaquin Reynolds, Isaiah Panaigua, you could see it all around that the seniors were bringing the energy,” Dunham said.

When Dunham wasn’t getting it done in the air, he was getting it done with his feet, including a 62-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. 

“My blockers opened up the field, so I hit the open alley and took it home,” Dunham said. 

Dunham finished the game with over 300 passing yards and 450+ all-purpose yards.

The Knights found themselves trailing 43-20 at half but took halftime to regroup. The team came out and responded to being down 23 points by scoring on back-to-back drives to open the third quarter. 

“The mindset was that this game wasn’t out of reach,” Dunham said. “We had worked all offseason, and we just decided to take some shots. The plan was to go down the field, score, get the ball back, score again, and we went out and did it.”

Throughout the game, Dunham found himself scrambling when no receivers were open, but he gives all credit to the boys on the offensive line.

“The whole offensive line has been hearing it from a lot of people that they’re lacking, but they went out and proved themselves and were keeping protection nice for me. It allowed us to make a lot of plays on offense,” Dunham said.

Caption by Fletcher Vandegrift. Photo by Sofia Saucedo.

LEADING THE WAY: The 2024-2025 drum majors—junior Rachel Tun, senior Bea Saffer, senior Max Davis and junior Sara Hamlet— continue the Taco Shack festivities by leading the band through the halls and showing the students to the first pep rally of the year on Thursday afternoon. The pep rally began at 3:59 p.m. with the sound of the band releasing students from their class.

Overall, Hamlet thought the band’s first pep rally of the year went very smoothly.

“The band played well and kept time,” she said.

This was Hamlet’s first pep rally as a drum major, meaning she went from playing as part of the band to conducting the whole band.

“I was able to watch a lot more of what happens at pep rallies, like the cheerleader and Blue Brigade performances, from a better spot, which were amazing,” she said.

While it was awesome to experience the pep rally in a different way, Hamlet acknowledges that being a first-year drum major is a huge responsibility.

“From an outward perspective, I never knew that they did so much, which has helped me gain so much appreciation for not only all past drum majors but also those who have similar leadership positions,” Hamlet said. “Additionally, the hours of commitment are super rigorous, and it was something that I had to get accustomed to in the beginning; however, despite the work, it is probably one of the most rewarding and fun things that I could have done since I am able to learn so much and meet so many great people.”

Caption by Maya Tackett. Photo by J. Frank Webster.

SPIRIT SEASON: At the first pep rally of the year, senior London Holtz found herself reaching for the T-shirt that just seconds before had launched from the arms of a cheerleader. According to Holtz, this was one of the many memorable parts of the pep rally that made her senior year Taco Shack pep rally one for the books.

“Seeing the seniors do these traditions every year has gotten me excited for senior year,” Holtz said. “This pep rally was special to me because it kicked off the last football season for my class.”

Holtz said that becoming a senior means appreciating the pep rally traditions with a new lens.

“I think having a spirit contest and the games that include the audience are always super fun,” Holtz said. “I always love to see the performances that the Blue Brigade and Cheer put on. I had fun and being seniors made it even better.”

Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Lillian Gray.

NEWLY KNIGHTED: After recently moving to Austin from San Benito High School in San Benito, Texas, senior Devon Robinson takes to the field for his first game as a Knight. Despite it being his first official game on the team, Robinson shared that he felt like he belonged. He proved in the first quarter, recovering a fumble to thwart the first Anderson drive and returning a kickoff for a touchdown just before the quarter ended.

“The game was a great experience,” he said. “I really felt like I fit right in with the team. They have been very welcoming ever since I first moved over here.”

During the game on Thursday night, the Knights trailed the Trojans in the second half. According to Robinson, the team worked to maintain their focus, while trying to put points on the board.

“The talk on the sideline was basically just to stay calm, keep playing our hardest, and don’t quit no matter what the outcome,” he said. “What was going through my head was to make sure no one on the team hung their head and to keep them pumped up.”

Starting a new high school and a new team senior year has been a big change for Robinson, but he is settling in.

“The transition was really different and a little difficult at first, but everyone at Mac was really accepting of me, especially the football team,” he said. “I’m just really grateful I’m able to be a McCallum Knight.”

Caption and photo by Lillian Gray.

KICKIN UP THE SPIRIT: The Blue Brigade performs its traditional dance, “Hey Baby” at halftime of the Taco Shack Bowl on Thursday night.

For junior lieutenant Jill Hoffman, Taco Shack is a game like no other because of game’s electric atmosphere.

“It was super cool being able to perform at Taco Shack,” Hoffman said. “The energy on Taco Shack night is unlike any other football game, so it’s super special when we go out on the field to dance.”

For Hoffman, this year is the first time she got the chance to help prepare the Blue Brigade to perform “Hey Baby” as an officer, which made it even more special.

“‘Hey Baby’ holds a specific place in all of our hearts, and I am really proud of how hard the team has worked to put the dance together,” Hoffman said. “I have so many great memories from performing and rehearsing ‘Hey Baby’ every year.”

Caption by Chloe Seckar-Martinez. Photo by Tristen Diaz.

FIRST-TIME FOR FURY ROAD: Freshman Emmett Richey, sophomore Ben Castellow and junior Isadora Lang turn to the crowd from facing the backfield and play their first note from movement one of “Fury Road” during halftime of the Taco Shack game.

Even though this was the band’s first time running movements one and two of “Fury Road” on turf, Lang thought the performance went well.

“I think our energy was really high,” Lang said. “For being one of our first performances on turf we stuck together and worked hard with what we had in a way that was effective for our football game.”

The band typically practices in a parking lot that is on an incline, which is why making the switch to turf can be challenging.

“Performing on turf means a more slippery and flatter surface,” Lang said. “Typically it takes a couple of performances to adjust leg shape and step size.”

Because of the difficulty that comes with switching surfaces, some formations might not be fully accurate or straight, which is what happened during this performance according to Lang.

“We had a couple of tears with timing,” Lang said. “I would say our leg shape definitely needs some work, but the progress already exemplified since summer gives me confidence that we can fix what didn’t go well.”

Even with the slight hiccups, playing at Taco Shack is one of Lang’s favorite things about the band season.

“Taco Shack in general was a very exhilarating place to perform,” Lang said. “It was a really fun experience for our upcoming season.”

The band runs through their “Fury Road” show for the second time next Friday when the varsity football team takes on the Travis Rebels at House Park.

Caption by Maya Tackett. Photo by Sofia Saucedo.

GIVING IT HIS ALL: Despite the varsity football team’s loss, senior defensive back Devon Robinson demonstrated his dedication and resilience on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

During the game, Robinson made a tackle from behind on Ed Small after a missed opportunity to prevent the catch.

“I was focused on not letting him score, but I misstepped and he caught the ball,” Robinson said. “I was disappointed that I let him catch it, but I made sure to tackle him.”

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Robinson noted that the team worked hard throughout the game.

“We played our hardest, but we made some simple mistakes that are easy fixes,” Robinson said. “The heart and grit the team showed until the end really motivated me.”

Robinson made one of the most exciting plays of the game for the Knights when he ran an Anderson kickoff back for the McCallum touchdown with a minute left in first quarter.

“It felt great to contribute and help the team’s momentum,” Robinson said. “I was ready to score if they kicked the ball to me, and it was a fulfilling moment.”

“I just want to thank my team for not giving up on each other until the very end, and I’m grateful to the coaches for the love and support they show the whole team,” Robinson said.

Looking towards the rest of the season, Robinson said the team needs to continue to grow.

“We just need to keep building on this and focus on improving for the rest of the season,” Robinson said.

Caption by Tristen Diaz. Photo by Frank Webster.

TAKING ON TACO SHACK TOGETHER: Thursday night’s Taco Shack Bowl was a sold out game. House Park was packed with family, friends, faculty and alumni to show their support for the Knights. For players like sophomore Tommy McIntyre, it means a lot to see familiar faces in the crowd.

“In reality looking up and seeing your family feels good,” he said. “Support is important because you are not only trying to win for yourself but for your teammates and family.”

As McIntyre put in the hard work on the field, his brothers Barrett and George were cheering from the stands. McIntyres’ brothers attend most of his games, which gives them a glimpse of what they might want to accomplish in middle and high school.

“It’s cool to see my brother play football because maybe I’ll be like him when I’m older,” Barrett said.

Barrett, just like George, is a fifth grader at Brentwood Elementary School. Both of them are not able to play football yet, but Barrett is looking forward to joining the team when he gets to Lamar. For now, he’s in the stands with his brother George and his friends rooting for the Knights.

“My favorite part about Taco Shack is the experience,” he said. “The game is kinda hype. It was fun cheering with other kids I know.”

Caption and photo by Lillian Gray.

SHARED DISAPPOINTMENT: Senior Mark Sanchez and head coach Thomas Gammerdinger walk across the House Park field following the loss against Anderson. Sanchez, who has known Gammerdinger for five years, said the coach treats Sanchez like his own son.

“I used to come up and lift weights with the varsity team and go to Speed and Strength, so me and Coach G are pretty close,” Sanchez said. “He not only cares about football but also my life outside of football. He’s a great leader for us, and he just pushes me to be better.”

Gammerdinger said he cares a lot about his players, and that made the loss feel more personal.

“I felt like, as a coach, I wish I could have done more to have helped them,” Gammerdinger said. “For me, the disappointment really wasn’t losing the game. It was more about seeing my players not have success, kids that I care about and had worked really hard for a goal, and we came up short.”

Having known Sanchez for longer than he has been a member of the team, Gammerdinger said he shared the disappointed moment with Sanchez.

“I coached his older brother, and Mark’s been coming around,” Gammerdinger said. “It was funny, my first game as head coach at McCallum was against Anderson, I guess seven years ago, and Mark was a ball boy on the sideline. We were laughing because we were looking back at that 2018 game, and you could see Mark there.”

With this being Sanchez’s senior season, Taco Shack was the opener to his final year on the team.

“I’m excited for it, but I’m also sad that it’s coming to an end, and I won’t be able to play with the people I played with over the last four years,” Sanchez said.

Also looking toward the future of this season, Gammerdinger said he thinks the team is only going to get better.

“We talk a lot about the process of improvement and what all goes into, ‘How do you actually get better at something?’” Gammerdinger said. “And unfortunately, one of those elements for that process is failure. It’s really hard to get better at something without failure.”

After failure, Gammerdinger said, the coaches go back to the drawing board to reevaluate and make tweaks to their play.

“And that’s what we’ve done,” Gammerdinger said. “So I’m still very confident about this season. I don’t think that game [against Anderson] shook my confidence at all.”

Gammerdinger said his confidence in his players remains unshaken as well.

“All of them are just great people,” Gammerdinger said. “I feel really close to this group of kids, and I have really high expectations and goals for them. And you know, I just want to see them go out there and do it.”

Caption by Camilla Vandegrift. Photo by David Winter.

ONE LAST TACO SHACK, ONE LAST SEASON: Taco Shack XXIII, held Thursday night, started early for the cheer team. At around 5 a.m., KXAN went live to cover the Anderson vs. McCallum spirit competition. Both schools gathered at the Taco Shack closest to their school, having decorated the place the night before. Senior Avi Zeifman, a member of the cheer team who has been with the program all four years, was energized by attending the early morning event.

“It was filled with adrenaline and caffeine,” she said. “It’s obviously not the best to wake up at 4 a.m. and be on the news, but it’s also really fun. It’s a long standing tradition, and you have a lot of energy because you’re so excited to be there.”

Zeifman is currently the only person who had been on the cheer team for the past four years. She said she leads the team, which is comprised mostly of underclassmen, by example and that forming a strong bond between the members is important to her.

“Cheer is a really special sport because I want to say 50% of it is the relationships you create within it,” Zeifman said. “It’s a lot of trust, it’s a lot of being able to tell each other, ‘Hey, you’re not doing this right’ and being able to listen without taking it personally.”

Though the Knights were not victorious in the spirit competition or the first game of the season, Zeifman is still optimistic about a strong season ahead, planning to cheer on the Knights win or lose.

“I hope to go to as many rounds of playoffs as humanly possible because I really don’t want to stop cheering at football games,” Zeifman said. “We’re going to be there every single game. It’s my last year, it’s our team, and for the seniors it’s really special because we’re finishing it off. We just want to be there to support it and soak up all the ‘highschoolness’ that we can while we’re here.”

Caption and photo by Lillian Gray.

STRONG UNTIL THE END: A testament to their unity and spirit, members of the varsity football team link hands during the playing of the school song, following the team’s 57-40 loss in Taco Shack Bowl XXIII.

Despite the loss to Anderson, junior defensive end and long snapper Nash Wegner is optimistic about the season ahead.

“From the start, we had great energy, and our seniors did a fantastic job of keeping that momentum going,” Wegner said. “We hustled hard, and our players gave their all on every play, especially on defense. The game was close and really came down to the wire; we just couldn’t pull through.”

Because of his role on the team, Wegner says he has to stay focused throughout the game.

“Playing defensive end and long snapper, I had to stay in sync with the coaches and be ready for crucial plays,” Wegner said. “The offensive team had some impressive plays, and maintaining communication was key.”

Wegner also noted that the closeness of the game did not surprise him.

“I knew we had the potential to give them a tough game,” Wegner said. “We’ve been working hard in camp and during the summer, and I believe we’re reaching our full potential. This game has shown that we’re on the right path for a great season.”

Caption by Tristen Diaz. Photo by Dave Winter.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: Senior linebacker Myles McCarver is hoisted aloft by teammate AJ Woolf during Thursday’s pep rally before the Taco Shack game. The Knights lost to the Trojans, but McCarver is proud of his team’s determination to give it their all in implementing the strategy Coach Gammerdinger outlined for them.

“There were a lot of highs and lows,” McCarver said. “Mistakes were made, but we got them fixed and went out and played our best game. The mindset was to put as much pressure on their quarterback as possible, and on offense, we needed to go out and score.”

McCarver said he eagerly anticipated being back on the field for the first game of his senior season. While the pressure was on to succeed, to McCarver, enjoyment of the game was the ultimate goal. 

“What motivates me is my friends [on the team],” McCarver said. “I’ve been playing my whole life so it’s always been a part of me.”

McCarver said if he could give advice to his younger self, he would suggest that he focus on growth. 

“Don’t let a day go by where you don’t get better than you were yesterday,” McCarver said.

Caption by Beatrix Lozach. Photo by Lillian Gray.

DODGING DEFENDERS: Freshman Porter Eddings avoids opponents during a tough game against the Anderson Trojans. Eddings said the freshman players gave their all to prepare for the first game of the season against the Trojans.

“We have been working hard for the Anderson game and it was our first game,” Eddings said “[It took] lots of practice and work with the coaches trying to get everybody to work with each other as a team.”

The game was a milestone for Eddings, who had been waiting to play in something as big as a Taco Shack game.

“I was feeling excited, I had been looking forward to that [game] since eighth grade.” Eddings said. 

Despite the freshman team losing 36-6, Eddings is still happy with the effort the team put into playing.

“We were feeling good and proud we played hard.” Eddings said.

Caption by Daniela Di-Capua. Photo by Fernando Kramer.

PEP IN HER STEP: Captain Catherine Haikola performs the Blue Brigade routine “Boom Boom Clap,” welcoming students into the annual Taco Shack Pep Rally. This was Haikola’s fourth and final Taco Shack as a part of McCallum and Blue Brigade.

“The Taco Shack pep rally always brings the most energy,” Haikola said, “but it felt a bit strange knowing that this would be my last Taco Shack, I just tried to enjoy every moment of it.”

As captain, Haikola has to help clean and perfect the dances that Blue Brigade performs.

“This year I felt like we were very polished and ready to perform,” Haikola said. “I think ‘Blue Grey’ and ‘Hey Baby’ looked really great and the team felt confident in our performances.”

Pep rallies have many elements, from performances to victory chants, and all are crucial to getting the school excited for the game. 

“My favorite part of pep rallies is singing the school song and fight song.” Haikola said. “In those moments it really feels like the whole school is connected and is ready to show their strong school spirit.”

Caption by Carson Duncan. Photo by Sofia Saucedo.

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: The JV football team lost 45-0 Wednesday night to the Anderson Trojans. Sophomore Aidan Ilai said that despite the loss, the game was a good learning experience for the team. 

“Overall [it was] a step in the right direction,” Ilai said. “[I] definitely [have] a lot to learn [for] my part, [and I] hope everyone else has something to learn from. We just got to get tougher, got to execute what we plan to do.” 

As the quarterback, Ilai said he needs to improve his leadership of the team. 

“I’ve got to be a better leader when times get tough,” Ilai said. “I’ve got to make sure everybody knows what’s going on. I think a lot of the guys are new to football, so it takes a lot of time to learn the game, and me being here for a year, I got to get better at telling everybody what to do.” 

Moving forward, Ilai hopes to move on to varsity and hopes McCallum will be able to win some big titles in the future. 

“A lot of us have varsity goals by the end of the year,” Ilai said. “Next year, I want to lead a team to playoffs again, and a year after that, [to a] state championship.”

Caption by Josie Mullan. Photo by Fernando Kramer.

WELL HEY BABY: The Blue Brigade performs “Hey Baby” at halftime of Thursday’s Taco Shack Bowl XXIII at House Park. For junior Olivia Pittman the kick dance was a part of Taco Shack that was especially rewarding, given that it gave the team a chance to showcase their skills for the first time in the season, and feel supported by the crowd. 

“Getting to perform a dance after so much practice feels super rewarding,” Pittman said. “It feels like as a team we hit a huge milestone after performing a dance for the first time.”

For Pittman, having such a hands-on role with the first football game of the year always makes it memorable, and gives her the satisfaction that the hard work paid off. 

“Although the first game of the season is definitely stressful, it is also so much fun and incredibly rewarding,” Pittman said. “It allows for the energy of the crowd to continue flowing even during halftime, and it gets the crowd excited and engaged, especially when it’s a fun song like ‘Hey Baby.’”

Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Sofia Saucedo.

FLOWER POWER: Juniors Ava Dallesandro, Sara Hamlet, Elizabeth Falkin, and Maya Tackett show off their school spirit as they prepare for the annual Taco Shack Bowl. Students dressed in colorful, tropical attire to celebrate the occasion. 

Dallesandro treats school spirit as an outlet from the daily routine. 

“I like showing school spirit because I think it’s so fun, any excuse for a good time honestly,” Dallesandro said. “High school can be pretty stressful, so having the chance to dress funny or get loud for the biggest football game of the year is so important.”

For Dallesandro, the best part of the event was seeing the connections between students.

“All the students showing school spirit in the halls and at the pep rally, the roar of the crowd at the game, all of it was perfect,” Dallesandro said. 

Another highlight for Dallesandro was seeing Coach Gammerdinger coach the football team. 

“Coach Gammerdinger stepped in to help out the girls’ varsity soccer team last year during an uncertain time, and so getting to see him coach another team was so wonderful,” Dallesandro said.

This will certainly not be the last time Dallesandro shows her school spirit. 

“I definitely plan on dressing up next year, like I said, I love the laughs,” Dallesandro said. “I think it’s important to show school spirit because school can be really stressful and thinking about college and SAT scores and grades and all of that can get really intense so you might as well take part in as much fun as you can while you’re here.”

Also pictured,  junior Sara Hamlet expressed her enthusiasm for showing school spirit.

“I love showing my school spirit because it creates a sense of community and brings lots of excitement throughout the school,”  Hamlet said.

For Hamlet, the most fun part of the Taco Shack Bowl was the game itself. 

“The most fun part about Taco Shack this year was the game, especially the first quarter when energy is high and the crowd is hyped,”  Hamlet said. “I will always participate in the Taco Shack spirit day because being the biggest football game of the year, it sets the tone for school spirit throughout for the whole year.”

Caption by Mira Patel. Photo by Augie Gleason.

MABRY’S WINNING MENTALITY: John Scott Mabry, a senior and offensive player on the varsity football team gets into position at the line of scrimmage before the snap. Since it’s Mabry’s last season as a senior, he wants to make the most of it.

“This year just as a team and especially seniors we have a different energy going into this year with a very winning mentality,” Mabry said. “It’s just more of like a last chance for us and we want to make the most out of our season.”

The team had an extra week before the season to practice and also had an extra scrimmage to make sure they were as prepared as possible.

“Going into the game I felt much more confident than last year, I think our team had a lot better energy,” Mabry said.

The new defensive plan which used a quicker, smaller defensive line and implemented some new blitz packages helped to make up for any individual mistakes.

“Individually I think I made a few mistakes but as a team it was made up for as I think together we played really well,” Mabry said.

Mabry said he had high hopes for this Taco Shack game, and he was still pleased with the team’s performance, some improvements could still be made.

“Honestly, I really believed we were going to win but I still feel like we played well,” Mabry said.“I think we performed well but something we could improve on in the future is playing as a full unit.”

Caption by Shila Gill. Photo by Wren Vanderford.