It’s a bonanza of school spirit. There are clouds of baby powder in the air. Cheers of “Let’s go Rams!” echo across 100 acres of campus. Hearts are beating vigorously during excitingly close athletic contests. Laughter ricochets through bounce houses. A steady “thump, thump, thump” can be heard and felt, racing along from our rival school to MICDS. A group of bagpipes sounds in the night. What could all of this mean? It’s Homecoming 2025, of course!
This year’s highly anticipated Homecoming festivities did not disappoint. Under sunny skies and red, green, and white face paint, we were proud to bring the full Rams community together for a vibrant spirit week culminating with the marathon of MICDS Homecoming events.
Thank you to our students, parents and guardians, faculty and staff, and alumni for packing Homecoming full of fun red and green memories! From the weeklong spirit week and the all-school pep rally, food truck event, parade, and bonfire on Friday to the fun run, carnival, barbecue, athletic contests (including the 100th-year MICDS vs. JBS football game), and the Homecoming dance on Saturday, it was a RAM-tastic celebration all week! Enjoy the event recaps and photos below! (Note: The Homecoming 2025 video reel is coming soon!)
Spirit Week
Each day during the week of Homecoming, students had the option to dress in themed spirit wear. Check out this year’s themes, and enjoy the galleries, organized by division, below:
- Monday, September 22 – Pajama Day
- Tuesday, September 23 – Country Western Day
- Wednesday, September 24 – Homecoming T-Shirt Day
This year’s Homecoming t-shirt was designed by Lucy Black ’28, pictured in the center below. “I created the design as part of my Digital Design class,” shared Lucy. “It was an amazing experience to see the whole school community wearing something I designed and spent a lot of time working on. There were a lot of other really good designs, so I was very honored to have my design chosen. I was so glad I got to contribute my design to our Homecoming spirit week!”
- Thursday, September 25 – Represent Your Favorite City (Lower & Middle School) and Throwback Thursday Day (Upper School)
- Friday, September 26 – MICDS Spirit Day (Students also sold spirit wear on Friday morning in the Lower and Middle Schools.)
Lower School Spirit Week
Middle School Spirit Week
Upper School Spirit Week
All-School Pep Rally
On Friday afternoon, the entire student body, faculty, and staff gathered at Ron Holtman Stadium and on O’Hara Field for the all-school pep rally. Together, the whole school got pumped up for the weekend by our Middle and Upper School Bands, watched performances by our energetic cheerleaders, rooted for our fall athletic teams, and cheered on one another during cross-school competitions. Athletic Council co-heads Morgan Macam ’26 and Cooper Myers ’26 announced the varsity captains of each fall sports team. The captains then introduced the rest of their teams. As each ran, skipped, or biked forward, they often made the audience laugh with a quick, funny skit, a handshake, or a cheer. Following, team leapfrog and pizza box keepaway contests were held with small groups of Lower Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, Upper Schoolers, and faculty competing against one another. Lastly, as students were dismissed from the pep rally, Upper Schoolers formed a gauntlet for the Lower Schoolers to exit through, on their way to enjoy Homecoming Weekend 2025!
Food Truck Friday
The first full-community event of the weekend was Food Truck Friday. Ram families enjoyed scrumptious food, drinks, and desserts from a variety of food trucks outside the McDonnell Athletic Center. They dined on the campus lawns, on blankets, and in picnic chairs as excitement for the weekend grew. Our Parents Association Arts Boosters provided glow sticks, maracas, and other swag to help kick off the evening. In view of the dinner event was the bonfire that soon would be aglow once night fell.
Parade and Bonfire
Right around sunset, the traditional bagpipes could be heard bellowing from the Upper School campus. Soon, the bagpipers, including several alumni pipers, could also be seen leading the procession of cheerleaders and football players down to the bonfire field. As they made their way, the food truck event attendees assembled at the field to watch the football players light the bonfire. The bonfire area was topped by a blue and yellow football jersey that read “JBS 100,” created out of wood in the makerspace by our Upper School Athletics Committee Representatives. Soon, the bonfire grew, and in the golden heat, the football players and cheerleaders sang the CODASCO Fight Song. The Rams were officially warmed up for the following day’s many Homecoming athletic contests and activities.
Fun Run
What better way to start Homecoming Saturday than with the 2.5-mile run/walk from the JBS to MICDS campus? Bright and early, Ram and Bomber families alike gathered for the annual Fun Run. After gathering some swag from the MICDS Alumni & Development table, a whistle sounded, and families ran, walked, scooted, and biked their way to MICDS. What a great start to the morning!
Carnival and Barbecue
The MICDS Homecoming Carnival is pure fun for Rams of every age to attend. The McDonnell Athletic Center (MAC) transformed into an epic play space, complete with iconic bounce houses, obstacle courses, popcorn stations, balloon artists, carnival games, photos by STL Photo Party, face painting, and so much more. For two hours, kids and adults alike ran around enjoying the many festivities together. Outside the MAC doors, all were able to grab a delicious bite to eat, thanks to FLIK Independent School Dining providing a complimentary BBQ lunch on the north patio. From the patio, attendees could even witness the MICDS Rams defeating Burroughs on the field hockey field in an incredible matchup. This two-hour Homecoming Carnival is always such a treat for each of our Rams!
Additional Photo Gallery by STL Photo Party
Athletic Contests
Throughout the weekend, our Rams competed against the Bombers in many athletic contests. This year’s varsity games were on the MICDS campus, while the non-varsity contests were held at John Burroughs. At MICDS, our Sports Boosters had a table set up with all sorts of swag to help Ram fans cheer on our student athletes throughout the day. The day included Boys Swimming and Diving at Orthwein Pool, Girls Tennis at the new Michael W. and Quirsis V. Riney Family Tennis Center, Boys Soccer on O’Hara Field, Girls Volleyball in the McDonnell Gymnasium, and Field Hockey on Thomas Field, all occurring before the 100th year MICDS vs. JBS Varsity Football game at Ron Holtman Stadium and O’Hara Field. Congratulations to Boys Swimming and Diving, Field Hockey, and Football on their exciting victories over JBS! Way to go, Rams!
Additional Athletic Photos by Morgan Macam ’26
Ram Run & 100th MICDS vs. JBS Football Game
This year’s historic Varsity Football game marked the 100th year of the rivalry contest between MICDS/CODASCO and John Burroughs football. Such a milestone game included many thoughtful details, including a joint commemorative MICDS vs. JBS 100th Football Game Program, to honor the two schools and their football programs, teams, coaches, and histories. Thank you to all who were part of this momentous occasion!
Assistant Football Coach and Middle School Math Teacher Cameron Youngman helped gather some archival information before the big game. “I dove into the Country Day Football history book to research past homecoming games,” Coach Youngman shared. “From the very first win, to the famous ‘bat play,’ to the consistent success the CODASCO/MICDS Rams have enjoyed, it became clear that we are all carrying on a remarkable tradition—one built on the shoulders of giants like Coach Pop Hughes and Coach Ron Holtman.”
During warm-up, both teams wore special jerseys that paid tribute to those worn during the original games, which began in 1926. The CODASCO throwback jerseys were graciously donated to the team by the Weaver family. After warming up, the teams changed back to their regular uniforms to play the game.
Preceding the game, the famous Ram Run took place. MICDS Upper Schoolers in the Rams Army spirit club raced down to Ron Holtman Stadium in themed white-out wear, paint, and baby powder.
Next, Maggie Holtman, wife of legendary Country Day and MICDS football coach Ron Holtman, and Burroughs football coach Jim Lemen represented each of the schools as they conducted the 100th year’s coin toss. “Jim and Maggie are carrying on a long tradition of sportsmanship and mutual respect, symbolized by the two coaches shaking hands after each of the 35 games they faced against each other,” shared the announcer, Mike Ritter. He added, “Ron Holtman spent 39 years on the MICDS sideline from 1966-2005 and 50 years total as a head coach with a record of 382-101-8, and 7 state football titles that pair with 7 state golf championships.”
Much to the delight of Ram and Bomber fans, the game got underway with the MICDS team guided by Varsity Football Head Coach Matt Irvin. The cheerleaders were in full spirit mode, helping with the breakaway banner that the players ran through, cheering on the sideline, doing pushups when points were scored, and performing a special routine during halftime. Also, during halftime, all Mary Institute and MICDS cheerleading alumnae were invited to the field to join our current cheerleaders in leading the Fight Song.
The 100th year game concluded with a victory for the Rams, 38-8, notching the rivalry record to 67-30-3. “The game had all the elements of the past—the bonfire, exciting athletic events leading up to the football game, and a huge crowd to cheer the team on to victory,” reflected Coach Irvin. “Our seniors finished 4-0 against JBS, and we are excited for the remainder of the season!”
“It is amazing to think that the CODASCO-MICDS/JBS football game has been played for 100 years, starting in 1926,” reflected Josh Smith, Director of Athletics. “I personally found the event of the game humbling. With Maggie Holtman and the [Pop] Hughes family on location, we had history sitting in the stadium. Our staff and team took great pride in playing that game on our campus with shoutouts to the former teams and coaches. It was still a football game between two conference rivals, but it had a special feel as we connected it to the past.”
Coach Youngman added, “The Homecoming game is the grand finale of this community-building week. As a coach, I especially enjoy arriving early to catch the soccer team in action, hearing the roar of the field hockey crowd while our football team warms up, and then watching students charge down from McCreery Field to help kick off the game. Earning the 67th win in this historic series was rewarding—but what makes Homecoming unforgettable is the sense of community and shared tradition that it creates. There’s truly nothing else like it.”
Congratulations to all who were part of the big game and to all who contributed to each prior practice, game, and cheer of support that led to this climactic event. Go Rams!
Additional Football Photos by Morgan Macam ’26
Come Saturday evening, it was time for Upper Schoolers to wrap up the festivities with the Homecoming Dance. They had much to celebrate from Homecoming Weekend, and what better way to cap off the big weekend than by dancing!
Thank You
There are so many folks to thank who made Homecoming 2025 such a success. Thank you to Sydney Brockman, Associate Director of Events, for all of her hard work in planning the major festivities. A special thank you goes to Mr. Smith for overseeing the many athletic competitions and the 100th-year game details. We are also very thankful for all of the gracious support from our MICDS parents and guardians, alumni, and student volunteers, along with the coaches and game officials, the grounds, maintenance, housekeeping, technology, and security crews, the Alumni & Development team, the MICDS Parents Association, FLIK Independent School Dining, and our talented student-athletes and sports fans. As always, thank you to Burroughs for the friendly competition and to all who worked hard to make this weekend’s Homecoming Bonanza Ext(RAM)vaganza so memorable!