ASTI Bowl Returns

The ASTI Bowl is an exciting new event that has quickly become one of ASTI’s most anticipated and beloved traditions. Taking place in October, co-ed teams of 6 students from each grade compete in a flag football tournament to determine who gets to have their class name engraved in the legendary ASTI Bowl Plaque. This past fall marked its second installment after the class of 2025 squeaked out a win last fall. This year, each grade fought hard in hopes of bringing pride to their peers. In the end, the class of ‘25 Seniors once again took home the crown, defeating the juniors 28-15 to remain the only class in history to win the ASTI Bowl. The MVP Trophy for the ASTI Bowl was awarded to senior Adikkya Rahman, who had seven touchdowns (6 passing, one receiving). He is also the only ASTI current ASTI student to have played for a highschool team, having played his freshman and juniors years with the Alameda Hornets. Despite Adikkya’s impressive performance, the true hero of the ASTI bowl was senior Lianna Lau, who created and organized the event. I got to sit down with Lianna to talk about how she felt about this year’s ASTI Bowl, both organizing it and playing on the winning team, and her hopes for the future of this up-and-coming school tradition. How did it feel to organize the Asti Bowl for the second consecutive year? It felt amazing, and I’m hoping this tradition continues in the years ahead. This year, we were able to bring a group of juniors (into the planning team), and I’m excited to see how they’ll take over next year and put their own spin on the event. We were able to build on last year’s event and address the issues that arose. Overall, it was completely worth it. I love the pep rally, the spirit, and all the fun everyone had. How did it feel to participate in the event itself? How would you evaluate your performance? I had an incredible time participating in the event. My class and I worked together to come up with strategies, we practiced plays and had practice days. (This) made it a lot of fun, and that spirit definitely showed on the field. As for my own performance, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really on my A-game. So, I guess I need to lace up my cleats again and get back to work! What are your hopes for the future of this exciting new tradition at our school? Honestly, my hope for the event is just to keep it going. Getting it started last year (in 2023) was a huge challenge, with lots of issues around district approval and safety concerns due to the nature of the sport. After negotiating with the district, they allowed the event to take place, and we showed that we were able to take the necessary precautions to keep it safe. I think it’s a really exciting tradition with a lot of competitive spirit, and I just want to see it continue. Go Class of '25! Let’s not forget that we’re the only winners of the competition! I’m excited to see who takes the crown next year.