The first home varsity football game for Red Mountain High School is on Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m., against the Pinnacle High School Pioneers, which will set the stage for the anticipated reveal of the school’s newly rebranded stadium.
Delivering a unique message
Staff, students, parents and community worked together to rebrand the stadium, and capture the culture, values and expectations reflected throughout the school. More than a year ago, Jim Gowdy, athletic director at Red Mountain High School, brought together representatives from each athletic team to collaborate on ideas.
Troy Dominy, the graphic designer responsible for bringing the Man Up and Wow Factor branding to Arizona State University athletics, was hired to take the school’s core values logo—courage, respect and influence—and make it visually appealing, thereby promoting the message to all students.
“A legitimate movement has to be visual, eye-catching and have deeper meaning,” stated Troy. “I wanted to give Red Mountain a strong and bold logo that complements the school’s current branding. It needed to feel a bit like a warrior or athlete who’s returned from battle.”
The result is a simple, tribal-style mark—a symbolic mountain shape. The final touch incorporates a lion scratch into the logo to not only bring an intimidating factor for opponents, but also to embody a characteristic in which students can take pride.
The Red Mountain experience
When fans step into the stadium, they will experience the respect movement. Sitting in the stands, football and soccer fans, as well as track and field enthusiasts, will see the new Red Mountain logo, along with #GoLions and www.redmountainfootball.com. A new black color scheme, which is meant to impress, replaces the faded red. “We want our stadium to have a unique feeling that is evident as soon as you buy a ticket and walk into the venue,” said Jim. “We experienced similar success last basketball season after a gym rebranding project was combined with floor renovations.”
Additional renovations
The Red Mountain Football Association raised more than $15,000 for a new score board, with panels dedicated to contributors and state championship year designations.
During the summer, the concession stands underwent extensive renovations as part of a voter-approved bond sale. Updates to both home and visitor facilities at the six Mesa Public Schools high schools include new sinks and water systems, which meet health code standards. Also incorporated into the summer of changes were bathroom improvements, new windows and shaded extensions on the roof of the buildings, as well as the addition of air conditioning.