“Pack The Cage,” Princeton High School’s new sports slogan, can be heard throughout the hallways from the roaring mouths of PHS students. A wave of school spirit has swept over the student body following a pandemic year, the result of greater prioritization of unity due to a change in administration. Attendance during games has increased dramatically, motivating both athletes and viewers

In the halls, you can hear students talking about attending the game later that day. “Packing the cage” has been the high school’s way of increasing student attendance, eff ectively  lling the bleachers at home and away games.  e packed crowd’s cheering has given encouragement to the athletes on the  eld and started to strengthen competition with opponents.

“School spirit motivates us to beat opposing schools, [which] intensi es our rivalries,” said boys varsity soccer player Felipe Matar-Grandi ’24.

The 7-2-2 boys varsity soccer team is on a roll this season, and they chalk it up to greater motivation. During Hightstown High School’s game with Princeton, a record number of PHS students, about 50, traveled to Hightstown to “pack the cage.”

However, word of mouth is not the only way PHS is garnering support in sports.  e viral Instagram account @princeton.tiger.cage grows on a daily basis, currently with over 500 followers.  roughout the fall season, the account has been posting almost every day, increasing involvement in the school’s athletics department.

“It has such a positive impact on our school spirit, and I love to see that everyone’s involved,” said the manager of the account. “Not only has the account increased PHS’s school spirit, but it has brought the school together in a way that has never been seen before.”

The impact of the account has extended to the rest of the Colonial Valley Conference. Opposing schools have begun to interact with the account and its followers before and after major games. The account has pushed for participation in athletics: What used to just be sports games have now transformed into school-wide events.

This new wave of support has not only improved unity within individual sports teams, but also in the student body itself.  e connection of students has never mattered more. As the pandemic hit, students and teachers were deprived of a normal high school year, so participation in sports took a hit. After a virtual year, students have jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the in-person school activities they missed.

“From an overall standpoint, participation decreased in not only the fall sports here at PHS, but the impact was felt in other athletic programs around the county,” said varsity girls soccer and basketball Head Coach David Kosa.

Students with a strong sense of community do more than show support for their school. A 2014 study by the Connecticut Association of Schools reported that they perform better academically and are more socially and civically engaged and that 92 percent of principals believe that the sense of camaraderie is tied to high student achievement.

“Usually when I have a game that day or the following day, I’m in a better mood, and I think that’s translated to my grades,” said varsity football player Tyler Goldberg ’24. So, whether it be through wearing our colors or packing the tiger cage, Tiger pride is here to stay.