The Shadow
LOW MOOR — Alleghany High School’s new fight song blends the old with the new and adds a modern flair.
“Fight to the End,” written by a group of composers from across the country, features a blend of the most recent Alleghany High School, Clifton Forge High School, and Covington High School fight songs.
“It was a very tedious process,” said AHS Band Director Adam Eggleston in describing the work behind the new fight song, which was unveiled on Aug. 21 at a school board meeting.
“We had to balance two truths at the same time,” Eggleston said. “With a new endeavor and a new school, our students deserve something new they can call their own. At the same time, this area has a rich history that deserves to be honored. We have attempted to balance these things
together.”
This is the first year that Alleghany High School has served as a consolidated high school for students in Alleghany County and the City of Covington. AHS is part of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, which was formed in July 2022 through the merger of Alleghany County Public Schools, Covington City Public Schools, and Jackson River Technical Center.
“Fight to the End” follows overall efforts to incorporate the area’s rich history and traditions into the consolidated school division. The mascot for Alleghany High School and Covington Middle School is the Cougar. The Cougar carries on the longstanding tradition of Covington High School. In 2022, students chose Columbia blue and Navy blue as the school colors. Columbia blue honors the previous iteration of Alleghany High School. Navy blue reflects the history of Covington High School.
“Fight to the End” goes a step further to include the history and traditions of Clifton Forge High School, which closed in 1983 as part of the prior iteration of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools. The song includes elements of the CFHS fight song, “Our Director,” the CHS fight song, “Onward Cougars,” and the former AHS fight song, “AHS Fight.”
“It sounds familiar to those who are used to the former songs, while still being a new creation, which is uniquely Alleghany,” Eggleston said. “The three former songs are blended into one song in a way that they do not stand above each other. The songs work together in a new and beautiful way that is completely unique and distinct to Alleghany High School.”
Eggleston said the music department at AHS is familiar with the composers who collaborated to write music for the song. The lyrics are still a work in progress.
“The music staff approached this group of composers. We had worked with them in the past. These are individuals who are spread out across the country, and they have no direct ties to our area. Therefore, they had no bias toward the three former songs,” Eggleston said.
Music and band fall under the oversight of AHPS Activities Director Ty Dobbs. He credits the hard work and collaboration of the school’s music department for the successful development of “Fight to the End.”
“The music department worked all summer long and they showed a great willingness to cooperate. They put a lot of work into this effort and they have gotten something to come out of it that the kids are going to enjoy,” Dobbs said.
The music department’s enthusiasm and collaborative efforts in developing the new fight song are indicative of the cooperative spirit that has become prevalent in the Alleghany Highlands, said Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of AHPS. They say consolidated school division has brought the community together in new and exciting ways.
Speaking of the fight song, Halterman and Snead-Johnson shared that they are pleased to be able to hear the three songs as they listen to the new creation.
“It is wonderful to see our band students playing the song and understanding its component parts. For instance, the previous AHS fight song is reflected in the chord structure of the song. We must commend our band students for their quick work in learning the piece, having begun practicing it on August 22 and playing it publicly on August 25,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson.
School Board Chair Jacob Wright also voiced his approval of the new fight song, noting that the entire community can take pride in the cooperative spirit that is alive among students and adults alike.
“I am very excited that our musical professionals were able to come up with a composition that is unique to our new school while honoring our strong history of excellent bands. To see these students come together to play something that is truly theirs is magical. I can’t wait to see how good they are by the time we score a hundred more touchdowns this season!” Wright said.
AHPS serves approximately 2,700 students. It is jointly funded by Alleghany County and the City of Covington. AHPS news and events are regularly updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchools and the division website www.ahps.k12.va.us.
