And the 2017 BOTF Winner is ...

February 17, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

When Shafer Webb and his classmates were middle schoolers, they watched the high school student section turn into a party at every Frankenmuth home game.

Webb's older brother Brennan led the 2012 section that won the inaugural MHSAA Battle of the Fans. And, of course, older brother told younger that no student section would ever measure up to the original champion.

Shafer, and about 300 of his friends, took that as a challenge – and have responded by earning a second championship banner as the first two-time winner in BOTF history. 

"It shows we had good leadership this year, and it sets the standard for next year," Shafer Webb said. "It helps we won; now we have something tangible to show how good we were, and hopefully that will inspire them to continue next year."

Frankenmuth will accept its Battle of the Fans VI championship banner during halftime of the Class B Girls Basketball Final on March 18 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. The other four finalists also have been invited to Breslin to be honored for this season’s achievement.

Frankenmuth was chosen based on a vote by the MHSAA’s 16-member Student Advisory Council influenced by public vote on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites. A total of 20,125 social media votes were received, with those results then equated against a school’s enrollment.

The Council based its vote on the following criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, section leadership and overall fun. 

Boyne City totaled the most public social media support, finishing first across all four ways votes were accepted (Facebook likes and shares, Twitter re-tweets and Instagram likes) – despite being the smallest school among our finalists. Votes were scaled to take into account a school’s size – although Traverse City West received the most social media votes total, Boyne City’s when compared to its student enrollment pushed the Rambler Rowdies to the top of the list. Frankenmuth finished second in the social media voting.

Other numbers to consider from this season's contest: The application videos have been watched more than 16,600 times, and the MHSAA-produced videos from our tour stops have nearly 5,700 views. The stories on the five finalists plus Tuesday’s explanation of how to vote had been viewed 10,270 times as of 8:30 this morning. The five Snapchat stories covering our visits were viewed nearly 13,000 times combined.

We were excited at the beginning of this Battle of the Fans because we received our most entries since the first BOTF in 2012, and our most first-time entries ever (of course not counting that first contest). That means the spirit of Battle of the Fans is thriving in a number of communities, while also catching on in more every year. This year’s finalists no doubt will inspire student leaders at more schools to create championship-caliber student sections – and below is why we were inspired during our five BOTF tour stops.

Now See This Award: Boyne City

What we saw: The “Rambler Rowdies” burst on the scene for Battle of the Fans VI with a hype machine that would be the envy of many organizations. It didn’t take us long after entering the school to find messaging advertising the night’s theme (Fright Night) and activities, and the in-house television promos were especially impressive. Of course, our visit was on Friday, Jan. 13, which made the horror film-style night a perfect choice. And the Rowdies played it well, filling the stands for a makeshift graveyard of living fans, opening the festivities with students rushing in screaming from all corners of the gym and putting together some fun props (including an impressive surf board) with a consistent message of “R.I.P. Bad Sportsmanship.”

Why we’re fans: As people who focus on promoting the benefits of high school sports on a daily basis, we were immediately impressed with Boyne City’s marketing work. But we also were impressed quickly with how the section draws from all different communities within the school, not just athletes, and with one of the leaders not involved in sports at all but instead part of the band and theater cast. Boyne City also was our smallest finalist this season, but packed in enough fans to at least feel comparable in section size to the other four – all while being our first stop and having to set the tone for this year’s tour. The Rowdies set it well.

Be the Change Award: Charlotte

What we saw: We returned to Charlotte for the second straight year and anticipate it won’t be our last BOTF trip to see the “Flight Club,” which is anything but a one-hit wonder. You want something built? Call the Orioles, who have the best props we’ve seen/heard about over our six years on tour. We didn’t see the “bird cage” used before football games but were intrigued by the description; we did see the two giant tifos and wonder why more schools aren’t making the same to drape over their student sections. The Flight Club also came up with a sharp idea of posting their “pilots” with megaphones on raised platforms at each side of the section so they can lead cheers and be seen and heard by all of their classmates – another great idea from a group that literally has built from nothing one of the strongest student section programs in the state in just two years.

Why we’re fans: The Flight Club is having a lot of fun, and we loved hearing the stories – whether they were telling us about the mostly-failed slip-n-slide at a football game or the much more popular “highlight” games where the section attended events for every sport, including bowling. In a short time, they’ve created a lot of memories – one that sticks out is how the driver for a spirit bus during football season took a 10-minute detour after an away game to allow the students to hang out a little bit longer. As a whole, the last two years in Charlotte have been a fun trip. And we're sure the Flight Club will continue to thrive.  

Draw the Blueprint Award: Petoskey

What we saw: The “Blue Crew” returned as one of the north’s best-known student sections by following a blueprint – pun only slightly intended – that any school could follow. After becoming a finalist for the first Battle of the Fans in 2012, the Blue Crew dwindled especially the last few years and into this past fall. But following a few proven steps, the Crew returned to its former height. First, student leaders attend an MHSAA Sportsmanship Summit in November. Then, on the way home, they started a section Twitter feed so they could communicate with classmates en masse. They set expectations, like featuring girls basketball games just as much as boys and letting students sit based on when they showed up to games, not their seniority. And with a leadership group including students from multiple classes, they ensured there will be student section veterans to pick up the reins again after these seniors graduate.

Why we’re fans: For starters, we love a good comeback story. We’re also a big fan of sections cheering on more than the boys basketball team; we always hear that they do, but we saw it with our own eyes as the Blue Crew began filling during the girls varsity basketball game (played before boys on this night) during our trip, despite the fact junior varsity and freshman teams also were playing at other locations and it was a Wednesday. We also try to emphasize every year that the best student sections are those who remember they’re at games to cheer for their classmates – not become the event themselves. The Blue Crew was all in, cheering on both the girls and boys varsities against Sault Ste. Marie, starting early and taking their fever to the final buzzer. Most of all, the Crew showed there’s a plan for any school that would like to accomplish the same – and we’ll surely be using Petoskey as an example in years to come.

Legacy Award: Traverse City West

What we saw: With three BOTF finals appearances, Traverse City West – our 2016 champion – has entered something of an unofficial ring of honor as one of the student sections that always will be in the mix to win this contest any year it applies. The setup of a Student Senate running the show is proven and provides West an opportunity to affect student life at its school to a degree others could emulate. The Bleacher Creatures built a sizable section for our visit despite not having school that day, and with it put on display some of the same great traditions we’ve come to enjoy during past visits. This section was around long before Battle of the Fans, and would be just as great even if it wasn’t competing regularly to be known as best in the land.

Why we’re fans: It’s hard to watch the Creatures do their thing and not think it would be fun to be a part. Ask Petoskey – watching West at a game last season helped motivate the Blue Crew to get back in the game this winter. The Creatures are loud, they’re together, the chants and cheers they do are all their own, and their most notable traditions also include the “Bucket Brigade” leaders who stand at the front and bequeath the honor from year to year. What we’ve noticed especially the last two years is how much West students love their school and community – and no wonder there’s a sense of pride that continues to get passed down to those who will fill the bleachers next.

Battle of the Fans champion: Frankenmuth

What we saw: In some ways, what we saw resembled a lot of what we saw on our first BOTF visit ever in 2012 – a few hundred students making up at least half (or more) of the student body dressed up in sometimes ridiculous costumes putting on a dance party and singing along. Section leaders have played on successful teams in other sports, and it was obvious their competitiveness boiled over into this contest. But as much as Frankenmuth enjoys the thrill of the fight, cheerers simply were having fun – from the costumes to the songs, to the original cheers and well-placed side shows. Be it the fullback taking an imaginary football handoff and diving in to knock down 270 people, or the “fake” wrestling match complete with good guys and bad guys, foreign objects and a championship belt, we saw some things we hadn’t seen before – and will be laughing about for years to come.

Why we’re fans: At the end of the day, Battle of the Fans is about a few things – bringing together a large group of the student body and drawing that crew from all grades and social groups, cheering classmates the right way with sportsmanship, and having the kind of fun that would make someone on the other side of the gym wish he or she could be a part. This year, Frankenmuth is that section – be it for the student from a rival school who shows up and always seems to know the theme of the night, or the parents across the floor during our visit who also got into “Costume Night’ and showed up in half-German and half-basketball garb. Frankenmuth’s student section no doubt riles up fans from opposing sides – but from a wider view, it’s a good bet those across the floor would love to join in, or hopefully start the same success story at their schools.

"It shows we give our student athletes a lot of support, and certainly we encourage kids that it's OK to be different," Webb said.

"I think it would be a lot more fun that whoever we're playing had just as good a student section as us. ... Hopefully this encourages other student bodies to participate in something like this at the other schools around us."

The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.   

Check out below our stories and videos behind the finalists. Also, click to see student-produced videos from all sections that entered the contest. (Photos by Chip DeGrace.)



Boyne City

Read all about it: 5 Ways Boyne City's Ramblers Get Rowdy


Charlotte

Read all about it: 5 Ways Charlotte's Fight Club Soars


Frankenmuth

Read all about it: 5 Ways Frankenmuth is Flying High


Petoskey

Read all about it: 5 Ways the Blue Crew Has Us 'Believin'


Traverse City West

Read all about it: 5 Ways West's Creatures Continue to Crush

Amid 2020 Woes, Duba Assist Unforgettable

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

December 30, 2020

GRAND RAPIDS – Nearly two months have passed since Maggie Duba received acclaim for an unselfish act of kindness at the end of the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Girls Cross Country Finals.

Duba, a Grand Rapids West Catholic junior, sacrificed her time and position in the eventual race standings to help a fallen fellow competitor make it to the finish line.

It was an uplifting moment during an unprecedented year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m really surprised at the attention it has received, and I wasn’t thinking at all like the news is going to see this, but I’m glad it did and everyone has said how it was needed in 2020,” Duba said. “It shows the good that can come out of sports, and it’s just another reason for me to be thankful that I was able to run this season.”  

Duba was heading down the final stretch of her race Nov. 6 at Michigan International Speedway when she saw Remus Chippewa Hills junior Sarah Storey in anguish.

Storey had fallen to her knees, struggling mightily to rise back up and continue.

“I remember coming around the curve, and I was on the straightaway when my legs started to give out a little bit,” Storey said. “I was determined to try and make it to the end as best I could, but I really couldn't move my legs anymore and then I finally went down.

“After that it was a struggle to get back up, and I was thinking maybe I could crawl or something. I was stuck until Maggie came along.”

After a rough start to the race, Duba had found her form in the second mile and headed into the stadium looking to make a strong closing push.

That’s when she noticed Storey. The pair were about 15-20 yards from the finish.

“I was trying to pass as many people and still get a good time,” Duba said. “I saw her down, and it was just kind of instinct to go right up to her and pick her up. I’ve seen it before in the Olympics, and I guess seeing that made me think that I needed to do that, too. I threw my goal of having my best race out the window because helping her was more important.”

Duba didn’t hesitate, and aided Storey by helping her up and offering encouraging words.

“She did not want to get up so I had to talk to her a little bit and slowly pulled her up and helped her,” Duba said. “The time is still ticking, and the girls I had worked hard on passing were passing me. I did notice that, but I didn't stop helping her.

“I just kept walking with her when she was up and got her running, and when she was running a little bit I slowly let go so she could finish on her own and I ran to the finish a little bit ahead of her.”

Duba was determined to make sure Storey also completed the race.

“I told her that you can’t not finish right now,” Duba said. “She had pushed so hard like everyone there racing, and anyone who has had that great of a finish deserves to finish that race, especially when she was so close to finishing. I was glad that I was able to help her because if she wasn’t able to finish then that would've been really sad, especially this year.”

Unforgettable finish

Although disorientated at the time, Storey vaguely remembered what Duba told her.

“From what I remember, she kind of said, ‘Come on, you can do this, you didn’t come this far not to finish.’ She just really tried to encourage me and convince me to get up and everything,” Storey said. “For me it was a big reminder of how sports are a lot bigger than just how fast you can run or how well you can do. It’s the people that make the sport, and I think what Maggie did showed a lot of people that, including myself.

“I think sometimes, especially at the state finals, you are concerned about your place or your time, but sometimes it’s not about that. It’s about the people you can help instead of just your finish.

Storey collapsed after crossing the finish line, and was taken to an ambulance. She was treated for about 20 minutes and then released.

“It was actually kind of weird because nothing like that had ever happened to me before,” Storey said. “They checked my vitals and everything and they thought about giving me an IV because they thought I might be dehydrated. They didn’t give me anything, and I went home that night and laid low and recovered the next couple days. I was pretty tired.”

Storey visited her doctor a few days later.

“They said it was a fluke thing,” she said. “It might’ve been a combination of a couple things that weren't quite right and they all came together on the same day. It might've been the heat because it was a little warmer than normal for November that day. It really was the perfect storm.”

West Catholic cross country coach Noreen Duba, Maggie’s mother, watched the entire ordeal unfold from the infield while taking pictures.

At the time, she was unsure if it was her daughter who had helped the fallen runner.

“I could see that someone had fallen, and she had helped them up. I got a little panicky at that point,” Noreen Duba said. “I saw her help her up, but I was running along behind the cement walls to get there and I didn’t see the complete finish. I didn’t see Maggie let her go and let Sarah finish on her own. Then we lost track of Sarah.” 

The Dubas left the race not knowing the name of the girl, which school she attended or her condition.

“I didn’t know what happened to her, and I was going to go home and look at the results and try to find someone from a school that had a red uniform to see who this girl was and what happened,” Noreen Duba said. 

A mutual friend from a cross country camp who was at the meet had seen the finish and recognized Maggie Duba.

Ironically, he went to Remus Chippewa Hills, and the coach called later that night to give an update. Noreen Duba and Storey’s mother, Beth, talked the next day.

Noreen Duba, who became emotional after the race, wondered what she would’ve done with a similar circumstance.

“I’m glad that Maggie did that, and I said to my assistant coach, ‘In that oxygen-deprived state, running hard toward the finish, focusing on that finish, would I have done the right thing?’” she said. “I was very proud and impressed by Maggie because that was her instinct. There wasn’t a thought process.

“Maggie stopped and helped her ,and I think I would’ve done that because that’s the way I’ve raised my kids and how I coach my team. You would do the right thing. Nothing is as important as helping somebody in need. I was really glad and relieved that she did that because you hate to see that happen.”

Maggie Duba, in her second straight trip to the Finals, finished the race in 20 minutes, 43.2 seconds and was 93rd. Storey was 98th (20:46.69). At the time Storey fell, she was among a pack that would go on to place in the mid-70s, while Duba’s group at the time was about 10 seconds behind and would place in the 80s.

Cartwheels up

After Maggie Duba’s show of sportsmanship, she displayed a unique move upon crossing the finish line: She did a cartwheel … sort of.

“It wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be because I was so tired,” Maggie Duba said. “I did that, and it was awful and embarrassing and I looked really dumb, but I did it for my teammates who came to support me.”

Maggie Duba was alone at the meet after West Catholic missed out on qualifying as a team. However, her teammates made the long trip to watch her run and challenged her to do something different at the end.

 “They dared me to do that because my friend and I had been working on our handstands all season and she wanted me to walk on my hands across,” Duba said. “There was no way I was doing that, but I did the cartwheel and they thought it was hilarious and they were so glad I did it. They were waiting all race for me to do that so I’m glad I did it for them because they were really happy.”

Duba and Storey hope to return to the Finals next year as seniors. Storey said she learned valuable lessons from her experience.

 “I have a little more perspective about how deep the sport can really go and how many people it can reach,” she said. “It just makes me excited to finish out my senior year of cross country and see how I can impact other people by what I’ve learned through this experience.”

Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for four years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties. 

PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Maggie Duba, right, encourages Remus Chippewa Hills’ Sarah Storey while helping Storey complete their Division 2 Final on Nov. 6 at Michigan International Speedway. (Middle) Duba, upon finding Storey on the ground about 15-20 yards from the finish line, assists her to her feet and guides her the rest of the race. (Below) Storey, left, and Duba approach the finish. (Click for more from RunMichigan.com.)