Saturday afternoon was an emotional one in the Moffat County High School Dog House.

It was an understandable energy for athletes, as Bulldog basketball players took to their home floor for the first competition back from winter break before a return to Monday classes.

But even for those not working up a sweat, the prelude to the varsity tipoff carried a certain significance.

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MCHS community honored Tony St. John with a ceremony that highlighted all the spirit — and one specific sound —embodied in the late pillar of the Craig community.

St. John, who passed away Dec. 6, 2024 at the age of 83, was well-represented by family members Saturday as a beloved husband, father and grandfather.

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However, the crowd was even more full of friends from across the years in Craig who remembered St. John in a variety of roles, whether through elected office — serving on Moffat County School Board and Craig City Council — volunteering at community events such as Moffat County Balloon Festival, serving with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or his loud and proud support of Bulldog sports.

St. John spent many years with Moffat County School District as a bus driver, which included getting MoCo athletes to their events, often playing a significant part in getting them psyched up for the big sports day ahead.

A specially made cowbell he first put together 30 years ago was Tony’s signature sound, the clapper of which is encased in a bell of blue, with “Go Bulldogs” emblazoned in white capital letters.

“You could always count on Tony to be there with his cowbell,” said MCHS announcer Diego Quezada, prior to a moment of silence. “Though we mourn the absence of Tony in our daily lives, we must also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind.”

Maggie St. John rang the beloved instrument on behalf of her husband to great applause from the Craig crowd.

While cowbells have become a no-go noisemaker for school sporting events in Colorado, MCHS Athletic Director Dillon Hoselton said that a replica of the cowbell will have its home on the northwest wall of the Dog House.

As a former basketball coach, Hoselton noted that St. John was a welcome part of the travel experience getting players from Point A to Point B but also being a vocal part of their cheering section.

“He always sat directly behind our bench and was one of the loudest in the gym regardless of the outcome of the game or who was playing,” Hoselton said. “He also had a big impact on soccer and even some middle school coaches I could tell were affected by him because of how much he cared for the kids and this program. We’re gonna miss him.”

Many former MCHS students and athletes were in the stands Saturday, with the ceremony hitting home for those who had the pleasure of being one of Tony’s passengers.

Jacie Evenson, who graduated in 2022, said she recalled St. John fondly as a supporter in volleyball and basketball.

“He always gave us that good energy to play our hearts out every single game whether we were up or down,” she said. “The cowbell still rings — for all of us.”