At every game, Montcezuma the Aztec, affectionately known as Monty, would be seen representing the Empire with his endless dance moves and cheers, but one question filled the student section wondering who the face of Monty really was.
On May 23, the final prep-rally for seniors commenced, filled with lots of dancing, tears and love, but with an act of surprise when senior Andrew Fierro revealed to the senior class that he was the mascot representing the Empire. Though his days of being Monty came to a close, Fierro ensured to leave his legacy behind for his future peers to be played as Monty.
“Being Monty felt cool and something new to do in high school,” Fierro said. “I always wanted to be a part of football but never could due to personal reasons so once I heard that there were tryouts for Monty, I was telling myself that this was a perfect chance to contribute.”
Though being Monty for only a school year, Fierro’s appearance at every event brought energy to give the crowd life. Fierro’s dedication consistently expresses the school spirit through his secret role which represented what it meant to be a true Aztec.
“I’ve been Monty for my junior and senior years,” Fierro said. “My favorite part about being Monty was seeing my classmates at games or at other school events go crazy and be happy when I came out as Monty.”
(Photo by Diego Cruz-Castruita)
Fighting the urge to tell his peers that he was the face behind Monty was something that Fierro had to hold back on. After the big reveal at the senior prep-rally, Fierro felt pride fill his body as he brought his school community together from behind the scenes.
“It felt weird because I wanted to tell the people around me that I was Monty, but I couldn’t. Once they finally made the announcement and revealed who I was, it felt amazing.” Fierro said.
