Mr. Catamount 2019
What is it?
It is a competition at Panther Creek where 11 contestants show off their talents, dance, and skills to fight for the title of Mr. Catamount. Their performance was judged by three judges who are: Lori Bush, Johnny Pavlik, and Susan Stewart Taylor.
Lori Bush
Lori is the Mayor Pro Tempore of Cary. According to the Town of Cary, Lori works at Cisco Systems, where she creates technology solutions for learning and education, and continues to have a passion for ensuring the safety and security of students and schools.
Johnny Pavlik
Johnny is the owner of a local pizza chain called Johnny’s pizza which was voted ‘The Best Pizza in the Triangle.’ He is also a pizza connoisseur and takes his art very seriously.
Susan Stewart Taylor
Susan was the first Teacher of the Year at Panther Creek High School. Currently, she is the C.E. Jordan High School Principal.
The Helping Hands
Mr. Catamount wouldn’t have been possible without many students and staff. Some of the contributors to the show included the two emcees Erica Council and Jack Godwin whose lighthearted comedy helped the show transition seamlessly. Additionally, the choreographers Paige Allyson and Ankita Prakash helped with the boys’ dance and based on the first rehearsal, there was a lot of work to be done. For the girls’ dance, the choreographers were Madison Melvin and Shea Stevens. Behind the scenes hard at work were the technical crew. The crew was made up of Nicole Stone (Stage Manager), Callie Stober (Lights), Nick Wiblitzhouser (Sound), Emma Bradley (Spotlight), Ntsako Laneke (Spotlight), Emily Theobald (Stage Hand), and Julia Lankford (Stage Hand). A special thanks to all the advisers whose contributionds made the show happen: Mrs. Whitney Masterson, Ms. Jennifer Travis, Mrs. Emily Petersohn, Mr. Johnny Gatlin. Also, thanks to Mr. Brad Bensen for technical assistance. At the end of the show, an award was voted on by the cast and crew for who worked hardest and was the most dedicated. This award is called Miss. Congeniality and it was given to Nicole Stone for all her hard work and dedication.
Thank you cast and crew!
The Contestants
Contestant 1: Duncan Analco
Duncan was escorted by Ankita Prakash and his special guest was Hector Escobar, the beloved Panther Creek Custodian.
Contestant 2: Eduardo Herrera-Rodriguez
Eduardo was escorted by Camryn Ware and his special guest was his mom, Maria Rodriguez.
Contestant 3: Mitch Freeland
Mitch was escorted by Savanna Jones and his special guest was his father.
Contestant 4: Ariah Fletcher
Ariah was escorted by Gianna Scott and his special guest was his little brother, Ezra Fletcher.
Contestant 5: Seth Sorensen
Seth was escorted by Ayanna Battle and his special guest was Adam Lafortune, his best friend.
Contestant 6: Joseph Samson
Joe was escorted by McKenzie Gambrel and his special guest was Dom Samson, his older brother.
Contestant 7: Jordan Foster
Jordan was escorted by Nikita Verma and his special guest was his mom.
Contestant 8: John Merritt
John was escorted by Lauren Condon and his special guest was Harrison Merrit, his younger brother.
Contestant 9: Jack Pearce
Jack was escorted by Hayden Howlett and his special guest was his sister Erica.
Contestant 10: Aden Bonet
Aden was escorted by Morgan McCormick and his special guest was his newspaper teacher Mr. Hoey.
Contestant 11: Ethan Analco
Ethan was escorted by Christy Franklin and his special guest was his mother.
Round One: Being Mr. Catamount
(Introduction of the contestants at 1:06 in the video)
During this round, each contestant was asked what being Mr. Catamount means to him and why he should get the crown.
Round Two: Cat Walks
(Cat walks at 4:07 in the video)
The contestant strut their stuff in this round, striding and sliding their way across the stage to show the crowd what they’re made of.
Round Three: Talents
The contestants got the opportunity to prove themselves during this round. The guys each showcased their unique talent in hopes to win over the audience and the judges.
Duncan Analco
Duncan performed his first ever stand-up act. Despite his small size, Duncan made a big impression on the crowd.
(Talent at 42:45 in the video)
Eduardo Herrera-Rodriguez
Eduardo went all-out with an intricate reenactment of Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U Next’ featuring a vibrant cast, including his mom, brother, Hayden, and others.
(Talent at 27:14 in the video)
Mitch Freeland
Mitch impressed the crowd with his hidden singing talent with a performance of ‘Congratulations’ by Post Malone.
(Talent at 30:38 in the video)
Ariah Fletcher
Ariah recited an original, profound poem that elicited choruses of snaps from the audience.
(Talent at 38:00 in the video)
Seth Sorensen
Seth, the king of memes, proved he was an all-star by playing ‘Allstar’ by Smash Mouth and many other pop culture songs.
(Talent at 19:44 in the video)
Joseph Samson
Joe really shocked the crowd with his electric imitation of the Office’s ‘Straight Outta Scranton.’
(Talent at 17:49 in the video)
Jordan Foster
Jordan brought out his inner Beyoncé with performances of ‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Formation.’ Wig.
(Talent at 34:20 in the video)
John Merritt
John made a splash with his human fountain talent, the audience members in the splash zone never stood a chance!
(Talent at 51:00 in the video)
Jack Pearce
Jack did it his way and killed it, with his dad on stage playing piano, to ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra.
(Talent at 47:07 in the video)
Aden Bonet
Aden finally laid to rest an infamous Panther Creek rumor and told everyone, via song, that there is indeed a fourth floor pool with an additional performance of his original song, ‘Fall.’
(Talent at 23:32 in the video)
Ethan Analco
Ethan performed an original song with his band Academia called ‘Dreaming.’
(Talent at 13:30 in the video)
The Contestants Dance
(Contestants dance at 53:13 in the video)
In this section of the show, the boys face off in a choreographed dance to see who can outshine the rest. The boys prepared for this dance for weeks working under the supervision of Ankita Prakash & Paige Allyson (who also choreographed it).
Special Guest Q&A
(Q&A section at 1:03:34 in the video)
Each contestant introduces his special guest and explains why they chose them. The special guest picks a question from the basket, and the contestant answers on the spot.
Homecoming Court Dance
(Homecoming Court dance at 1:13:20 in the video)
While the judges decided their top three the ladies got a chance to one up the guys with their flawless dance moves. The ladies also prepared for this dance for weeks working under the supervision of Madison Melvin & Shea Stevens (who also choreographed this dance)
Top 3 Contestants
(Top 3 named at 1:18:01 in the video)
In the end three catamounts were left standing: Eduardo Herrera-Rodriguez, Ariah Fletcher, and Jack Pearce.
Mystery Round
(Mystery round at 1:19:44 in the video)
The last contestants faced off for the crown in an intense match of charades featuring their special guests.
Crowning Mr. Catamount
(Mr. Catamount is crowned at 1:25:55 in the video)
After a thrilling competition, the judges decided that the title of Mr. Catamount would go to contestant Jack Pearce. Congratulations to Jack! It looks like he will truly have twinning crowns with his brother, Spencer Pierce, who won last year.
Thanks to the sponsors of Panther Creek and PCNN.
