It has only been a few weeks since school started at Riverbank High School, but this past Friday – Aug. 31 – was a busy, busy, busy one for students there.

Early in the day, before dawn, the senior class assembled at the Angelo Novi Stadium on campus, not to play a game, but to simply celebrate the sunrise — Senior Sunrise.

Members of the class of 2019 gathered to view the sun coming up, symbolizing the beginning of their final year of high school. A similar event, Senior Sunset, is usually held at the end of the school year.

After greeting the morning sun, the seniors were treated to breakfast next to the gym, sponsored by the parents group, before they shuffled off to class.

The class schedule was uneventful for the student body, up until the rally in the last period of the day. There, students were revved up to be prepared for what was to come that evening — the first home football game of the season.

Even before the game, there was a first in front of the gym, a tailgate party of sorts. The RHS Link Crew hosted the event, with free food, games, music and more games.

The crew is made up of junior and senior students who volunteer to assist, befriend and guide their freshman class counterparts as they adjust to life at Riverbank High. Following the tailgate event, they were invited to join everyone in the stands to cheer for the football teams.

And there were lots of firsts at the game, too.

Besides the first home football games, there was the first performance of this year’s Cheer Squad, and of the brand new Bruin Marching Band, all at halftime of the varsity game. For the marching portion of the program, the band was accompanied by the first performance of the flag squad.