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
Have you Herd? Buchanan Parties On
February 18, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BUCHANAN – Watch what’s become nearly a decade’s worth of Buchanan High School “Battle of the Fans” videos online. Check out the four MHSAA BOTF banners – including two for championships – hanging side by side on the far wall of the school’s gym.
It might appear that having an awesome student section at this southwestern border school is as easy as opening the doors for a new year every fall.
But maintaining what’s become Michigan’s benchmark for high school cheering sections can take just as much work as starting from scratch – especially when those new leaders every year face the expectations of continuing a tradition that’s included those two BOTF titles won in 2013 and then a year ago.
“I feel like when we won (last year), that day, we all looked around as a (then-junior) class and were like, ‘Whew, we’ve got some work to do,’” Buchanan senior Aria Nowlin recalled. “I feel like the day it was announced that we won, it almost kinda humbled us looking toward (this) year, because we were all proud of the accomplishments that we did do in 2018. But 2019 has been a year of growth and seeing what works change-wise.”
“The Herd” indeed has seen changes this school year, especially in leadership after waving good-bye to an impactful group of seniors last spring. But what remains the same is passed down from class to class and makes the section a model statewide – and provided many of the reasons for the MHSAA to make an unequaled fifth BOTF trip Friday for the Bucks’ boys basketball game against Niles Brandywine.
We finished our Battle of the Fans VIII finalists tour by meeting first with seniors Nowlin, Garret Lollar, Tali Suloff, Emily Riley and juniors Carter Aalfs and Jade Smith – and then postgame with senior Maya Schuhknecht (who missed the earlier meeting to help run the point for the girls basketball team).
As we did with our first two BOTF visits this month, we will report on Friday’s following the format of a typical game night. We begin with a few tips from The Herd on how to maintain a championship-caliber student section, followed by a quick dive into Buchanan’s “pregame prep” and then a review of what we saw to close out this year’s BOTF tour.
The Herd’s Gameplan
Take some of these tips from The Herd:
Value your values: They will guide your student section through growth and tough decisions. The Herd is rooted in being positive, supporting the school’s athletes and having fun. It sounds simple – but establishing similar guiding principles can be key.
Set the tone – everywhere: A positive student section emerges from a positive school environment – and then helps keep that environment harmonious. Spread the good vibes not just during games but in the hallways all day long.
Tap administration: With five visits over seven years, we’ve gotten to know Buchanan’s teacher “shepherds” as well, and they provide an incredible amount of support to the section, as have administrators past and present. The key is they empower student leaders to take action. Those student leaders thrive on that opportunity to be creative and in turn empower their classmates.
Embrace mass communication: The Herd’s message rings out on every social media channel, but leaders follow up that mass messaging with face-to-face encouragement in the halls.
Pregame Prep
The Herd’s current leaders were in middle school when the section got its start about six years ago. They would be excused for thinking this is how things have always been at Buchanan games.
The shepherds know better. They remember pre-Herd when games were sparsely attended and that spirit of togetherness didn’t exist.
A lot of work goes into keeping it going. Section leaders over the years have put a lot of time into visiting the elementary and middle school students and teaching them cheers. This year, Lollar noticed how the youngest kids showed tons of enthusiasm – but the middle schoolers didn’t really respond. Leaders face the same attitude with some underclassmen, needing to convince them that it’s fun to loosen up.
As noted above, The Herd also was challenged by a self-imposed obligation to improve on a banner year. Of course that’s tough to do. So Herd leaders dug into history – mixing some of the great cheers and chants from their past with new ideas this school year.
“I think it’s different, but different is good. Because if we’re not changing, we’re not growing,” Lollar said. “So I feel we do do the same things, but we slowly introduce new things and we slowly bring back old things, because if it works then why take it out?”
So first, what’s old? A lot of cheers and chants made popular in the section in past years including dances to Pitbull’s “Timber” and Sheppard’s “Geronimo.” Smith said because most of the high schoolers have taken part in the Herd since before they were teenagers, they’re able to remember the oldies-but-goodies and pick them back up quickly.
What’s new is an increased amount of participation from underclassmen who have brought a supply of new ideas. Nowlin remembers going to her first Herd meeting as an eighth grader and being the only member of her class in attendance. Now her sophomore sister and her sister’s friends are among those supplying input and planning for their turn to take the reins.
The Herd also has maintained its place as something of a civic group in the community, providing its enthusiasm to help Buchanan neighbors. Over the past year, the section has raised money to assist the family of a leader whose mom is fighting cancer, and also asked for donations for a recent graduate involved in a crash last summer. The Herd also will hold a co-fundraiser with students from Berrien Springs at an upcoming game.
“We do things to help the people that are in our community, because we are just that close-knit that we love everyone that goes through Buchanan,” Riley said. “So when they have a problem, we’re there to help them.”
Game Time
Riley recently was named winner of the Miss Buchanan pageant. When the five finalists were asked as part of the last round what event in the community captures what Buchanan is all about, four – including Riley – answered with something regarding a night with The Herd.
Here’s how she defines a Herd Night: “It’s hype, we’re together, we’re united. We’re seriously a group of people who love Buchanan and want to support everyone.”
Friday was surely one of those nights that will live in the memories of the 130 or so students who filled their usual corner of the home gym.
The weather has played some havoc with the basketball teams’ home schedules, among other school events. So Friday’s game doubled as Winterfest, with royalty crowned between the girls and boys varsity games.
Then began what felt like a throwback to Herd Nights of years past.
First the lights went out. When it was time for the home team to be introduced, a spotlight and plenty of phone flashes came on, creating an environment sure to get any team revved up.
The boys basketball team proceeded to give opponent Niles Brandywine a somewhat unexpected challenge for the first three quarters (Brandywine is 16-1 and Buchanan 6-9), and the student section cheered the team on with chants we’ve heard for years plus a medley of songs and dances that seemed like a Herd greatest hits collection.
There was some new too. During the first half, the section split in half for a “Party” chant we hadn’t heard before and that’s become a Herd favorite, and at halftime a group of senior dancers performed their recent school championship routine. As the second half wore on, the section kept things mostly rowdy despite the game slipping away.
Postgame analysis
You don’t need an invite: “I’ve had people text me: ‘How do I get into The Herd? How do I get the text messages?’” Riley said. “And I’m like, 'You’re a part of The Herd – everyone’s a part of The Herd.' When we go and see little kids, we’re like, 'Raise your hand if you’re part of The Herd.' And then we’re like, ‘You all should be raising your hand, because you’re all part of The Herd.’”
We do this together: “Having everything look good together and having everyone participate is something really awesome that not many people ever can do,” Lollar said.
It’s no secret: “Not only (do we) live it, but our athletes that we support love it,” Riley said. “They look forward to it. It’s not just for us. It’s for the athletes because it supports them and it helps them. And the parents, they go crazy. All of Buchanan knows The Herd is where it’s at.”
Next for BOTF: Public voting for Battle of the Fans begins Tuesday on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites – come back to Second Half on Tuesday for instructions on how to support your favorite section.
The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Buchanan’s ‘Herd’ enjoys a quick dance party during a break in Friday’s boys basketball game against Niles Brandywine. (Middle) Bucks students fill their section of the bleachers and feed the atmosphere with songs, chants and cheers from opening tip through the final buzzer.