Mike Waldo of the Class of 1970 pushed Jesuit and Pensacola (where he lives with his wife Judy, seated under the oak) to renew their long-dormant high school football rivalry. To celebrate the first game since 1966, Waldo bought a Mercury Grand Marquis and had it re-painted Jesuit Blue & White. He drove to New Orleans Thursday evening and parked the “Jaymobile” in the Traditions Courtyard, the setting for a lunchtime pep rally on Friday.

Lunchtime pep rallies during football season have long been a tradition at Jesuit High School. While the main purpose of the pep rally is to foster support of the team and stoke Blue Jay Spirit among the student body, Jesuit’s pep rallies have evolved in the myriad of methods used to achieve these goals.

The “Old Locomotive” and the “Atomic Bomb” cheers were popular in 1966, the last time Jesuit and Pensacola played each other during their interstate rivalry series that began with a bowl game in 1945. The rivalry between the Jays and Tigers was renewed this season and the game quickly became an event featuring a pre-game reception for the the players and coaches who participated in the original series.

Of course, a lunchtime pep rally was part of this mix and to pump some adrenalin into the Jays, alumnus Mike Waldo of the Class of 1970 enthusiastically agreed to showcase his special Blue & White Grand Marquis. Waldo, who lives in Pensacola (but frequently visits New Orleans), was instrumental in bringing the two teams back together after a 47-year hiatus.

Waldo and his wife Judy arrived in the “Jaymobile” and parked it in the Traditions Courtyard for the pep rally on Friday, Sept. 27. The uniquely Jesuit car helped to promote interest in the game. Additionally, the Jaymobile served as a perfect target for a competition among Blue Jays, who thoroughly enjoyed trying to fly their paper airplanes into the front or back seat areas.

View 16 Images in the Pep Rally Photo Gallery