And the 2016 BOTF Winner is ...
February 18, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Cooper Kirby has a lot of people he’ll be thanking today.
First, he’ll celebrate with his classmates, numbering more than 1,600 strong. Then he’ll text Traverse City West’s 2007-08 student senate governor, Chase O’Black, who started the “Bleacher Creatures” cheering section nearly a decade ago.
Then Kirby will call the governors from his first three years at West and thank them for inspiring the current Creatures to carry on the legacy he and the rest of the senior class will soon leave for those who will next take their turns running the show.
And he can’t think of a better way to go out than as part of a Battle of the Fans champion.
“Our school, the students who go to these games, are just so passionate. We invest so much time because we love it,” said Kirby, this school year’s senate governor and a leader of the Creatures.
“It’s just a long history of people who just like me loved our school. People who were so invested in the Bleacher Creatures. It’s says so much this year about what set us apart, but also about years past and every student who’s ever gone to one of our games and been passionate about what we do.”
The Bleacher Creatures will accept its MHSAA championship banner during the 6 p.m. Class B Boys Basketball Semifinal on March 25 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. The other four finalists also will be invited to Breslin to receive rewards for this season’s achievement.
Traverse City West 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 18,424 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.
Munising received the majority of public social media support, finishing among the top three in three of 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 then scaled to take into account a school’s size – although Traverse City West received the most social media votes total, Munising’s when compared to its student enrollment pushed the Mustangs to the top of the list.
Other numbers to consider from this season's contest: The application videos have been watched nearly 23,000 times, and the MHSAA-produced videos from our tour stops have more than 5,500 views. The stories on the five finalists plus Tuesday’s explanation of how to vote had been viewed 9,353 times as of 8:30 this morning. The five Snapchat stories covering our visits were viewed nearly 10,000 times combined.
It’s a little tough to believe the Battle of the Fans contest is finishing its fifth year, but our second-most applications shows it’s as popular as ever – and we thank all of our student sections for their work. We continue to learn from each other, and here’s what we’ll remember most about each of our finalists:
Dazzling Debut Award: Charlotte
What we saw: The Orioles already play in one of the neatest gyms around – one of few domes we know of in the entire state. Now they’ve got a passionate student section backing them up. Surveying school-wide for the name “Flight Club” was a great start, and the section has only continued to rise. In addition to plenty of creative material – including a jack-in-the-box featuring the Orioles’ mascot – the halftime drum line performance was one of the highlights of this year’s BOTF. The Flight Club also provided the best national anthem of the tour, with the student section carrying the song A cappella to lead the rest of the crowd both poignant and impressive. That this school’s support went from a group of maybe 20 students at games only a year ago to a few hundred regulars now is a testament that it can be done quickly even at a medium-sized school with more classmates to rally.
Why we’re fans: Did we mention the drum line? And the anthem? But really, what made Charlotte a contender had as much to do with leg work as it did with the finished product on display during games. Reminiscent of 2015 champion Dowagiac, the Flight Club idea was planted by a passionate teacher who in this case also was an alum. But it didn’t take long for spirit to grow throughout the student body – and the community as a whole. We believe the Flight Club is here to stay, and we’re glad for it.
Be the Example Award: Munising
What we saw: With only 200 students in the high school, it was surprising to see a full set of student stands filled, plus a pep band, plus a Homecoming court and cheerleaders making up an entire corner of a gym otherwise packed. It wasn’t a surprise to those who live in a town small in number but huge in support of its school and athletes. “Stang Nation” started bringing the noise during the junior varsity boys game and rarely let up over the next three hours – proving size of the school matters much less when creating atmosphere than the ability to get the energy up and keep it high. Stang Nation didn’t have much pre-planned material – 100+ students just cheered non-stop and supported their team from start to finish. And it was arguably the best decorated gym we’ve seen during five Battle of the Fans finalists tours, with awesome Homecoming-inspired banners backing up both baselines to go with the usual regalia covering the walls.
Why we’re fans: We left Munising with a lasting feeling that if every school had a student section like Stang Nation, we couldn’t be happier. Mixing in the band, cheerleaders, Superior Central’s student fans for a “U.P. Power chant” … all of it made it clear why home games are the place to be on winter nights. And we could only imagine how fun it must be for athletes to return to town for parades thrown now any time a team wins at least a District title – and how much fun it must be to be part of welcoming the latest champion home.
Pound-for-Pound Award: Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
What we saw: It’s more what we heard. "Pound" describes the powerful sound the section made; pound-for-pound also describes how the “Green Machine” brought it at a level comparable to much bigger schools. From the boys basketball team’s entrance to the gym through a faux ice brick wall, through a cheer where everyone pounded the floor in unison with a series of standing arm-in-arm jumps (watch the video below to see what we mean), the Machine pumped the volume. From start to finish, Warriors fans provided plenty of support for the team on the floor with cheers, signs, a band, a tunnel including the entire student body, and much more.
Why we’re fans: The Green Machine is a new section too, debuting just this fall, but followed a process we’ll promote for years to come. “Mechanics” got their start at an MHSAA Sportsmanship Summit, set attainable goals like making Friday night games all-school parties, got the entire student body involved starting with a vote to name the section, and then watched their work pull an already tight-knit student body even closer. Leaders drawn from every class means this is only just the start.
Fill the Stands Award: Yale
What we saw: Yale’s student section, this year named Kohler’s Kids (the latest rendition in honor of the boys basketball coach), has become a power in this contest. Just like our first visit to the school in 2015, Yale loaded a full quarter of its gym with students, and the sound once again was palpable. Yale feels like it has a Class B title contender in its boys basketball team, and the “Kids” feel like a catalyst to that success and do their part by showing up to support en masse. Yale also strikes the right balance of being immersed in the game, with brief side shows only to fill in breaks in play.
Why we’re fans: The point of Battle of the Fans is to show student sections they can have a blast while cheering in a fun, positive way. That’s Yale. Kohler’s Kids don’t just pretend to care about sportsmanship, they live it – and with the attitude that going negative and engaging in verbal melees with opposing sections just isn’t necessary, much less fun. They just don’t care to be like that – the Kids realize there’s a better way. It’s an attitude we admire, and a message that continues to make Yale a great ambassador for student sections statewide.
Battle of the Fans champion: Traverse City West
What we saw: Total involvement from opening tip to final buzzer. From the “Creatures of the Week” on couches in the front row to those holding down the back of the section 20 rows up, everyone was moving and yelling and happy to be there. A band of leaders, the “Bucket Brigade,” kept the group together – something incredibly difficult at a school any size, much less one with a section of 400 students representing all four grades, different social groups, etc. But this is a way of life at Traverse City West, and it’s easy to see why. It’s been hard to not spontaneously throw out an “O-E-O-E-O, TC West” every once in a while. And the whole “We are the Creatures” chant with the drum line is pure pandemonium – in a good way.
Why we’re fans: We learned about the Creatures during our first BOTF trip to the school in 2014 and admired then a leadership structure that makes student spirit part of school government. West’s student senate runs the show, and this year’s leaders are as passionate about their school as any we’ve come across in five years of visits. But something like what we saw from the Creatures doesn’t happen unless there’s buy-in from all over the student body, and that’s what a student section is all about. And we can’t say enough about how West cheers for its teams – during game play, the focus is entirely on the game; during halftime, we were treated to a surprise dance line/Harlem Shake by the older guys manning the front row, who had been coached by another senate member. The crowd went wild.
“This culture isn’t just student sections. It just makes classrooms better, makes friendships stronger, makes groups that aren’t initially related identify with just one identity, which is awesome to see,” Kirby said. “Kids are coming together to scream our heads off – but it’s enabled us to do so much with our community as well. It’s amazing what people can do when they come together and be passionate about something bigger than themselves.”
It’s fair to say we’ve never encountered leaders so in love with their school and enthusiastic about student life. At its most fundamental, that’s what student cheering sections are supposed to be about. We’re glad to celebrate Traverse City West showing the state how enthusiasm plays out with fun every time the Creatures get together – and in this case, paid off with a Battle of the Fans championship.
Battle of the Fans IV is sponsored in part by Milk Means More.
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 courtesy of Rick Sack.)
Charlotte
Read all about it: Charlotte 'Flight Club' Shows It Can Soar
Munising
Read all about it: 'Stang Nation' Continues Tradition Of Support
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
Read all about it: 'Green Machine' Gears Up For BOTF V
Traverse City West
Read all about it: 'Creatures' Remain Way Of Life At TC West
Yale
Read all about it: 'Reloaded' Yale Section Brings Noise Again
Scholars and Athletes 2014: Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 11, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected eight student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 25th year of sponsoring the award, will give $1,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 22 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Bailey Baker, Eaton Rapids; Peyton Boughton, Sturgis; Courtney Reinhold, Saginaw Swan Valley; Roxane L. Strobel, Spring Lake; Anthony William Canonie, South Haven; John Gatti, Grosse Ile; Nicholas Linck, Grand Rapids West Catholic; and Noah Nicholl, Yale.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Bailey Baker, Eaton Rapids
Expects to graduate with a school-record 16 varsity letters – four each in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. Earned both all-state honorable mention in softball and was an MHSAA Finals runner-up in discus as a junior, when she made the Lansing State Journal all-area Dream Teams in both sports; also has earned all-league honors in both volleyball and basketball. Serving as captain of the basketball team for the second season and captained the volleyball team for three years. Participated in National Honor Society for three years and raised more than $1,000 for a food program among other volunteer efforts; also organized a fundraiser that led to the distribution of more than $6,000 in goods. Served on yearbook staff for three years including as editor, and also as a volunteer coach for numerous youth basketball and volleyball camps. Undecided on where she will attend college and her field of study.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is the understanding that while you give everything on the court or field, at the end of the day, the opponents are the same as you – people with goals. This perspective has been reinforced through interscholastic sports – and I am better for the experience.”
Peyton Boughton, Sturgis
Ran four years of varsity cross country and will run her fourth of track and field this spring. Earned all-state in cross county the last two seasons and earned a 13th-place Finals finish as a junior. Served as captain of that team the last two years and ran her school’s record time this fall. Named academic all-state all four years of cross country and has participated in National Honor Society the last two years – serving as vice president as a junior and president this school year. She served in the same roles the last two years, respectively, with her Kiwanis Key Club and also is a member of the National Art Honor Society. Maintains all-A grades and earned an AP Scholar Award in 2013. Served on the Sturgis Area Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council for four years. Will attend the University of Michigan and study industrial design, engineering or architectural drafting.
Essay Quote: “As a runner, I’ve made it a habit to sincerely meet with and compliment my opponents on a race well run. Such an outlook on athletics has allowed me the opportunity to connect with friends I’ll never forget who’ve attended schools from 10 miles to more than 100 miles away.”
Courtney Reinhold, Saginaw Swan Valley
Played varsity volleyball for four seasons, basketball for two and will play her fourth of softball this spring. Earned all-state as a pitcher the last two softball seasons while leading the Vikings to MHSAA Division 2 Finals runner-up finishes at the end of both. Earned all-league in volleyball the last two seasons and helped her team to a Regional title in the fall. Served as team captain of all three. Maintains a 4.0 grade-point average and is a four-year member of her student government and Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter. Served as secretary of her Business Professionals of America state championship team and attended the Great Lakes Bay Regional Youth Leadership Institute. Volunteered for her community’s Make a Difference Day and youth sports camps. Will attend Grand Valley State University and study radiation therapy.
Essay Quote: “(After a volleyball District win) I looked down at my phone and I couldn’t believe what I saw: the girl, the one everyone had said we would battle it out, had sent me a personal message. She told me congratulations, and she said she could tell my teammates looked up to me and that I was a great leader. ... I was so taken back because this was also her senior year and last game, but she showed so much sportsmanship and grace to reach out to me.”
Roxane L. Strobel, Spring Lake
Played four years of varsity tennis and is in her fourth season of varsity swimming and diving. Qualified for MHSAA Tennis Finals as both a sophomore and junior and was a league or Regional singles flight champion all of her first three seasons. Also qualified for the MHSAA Swimming and Diving Finals all four years of high school and earned all-league honors her first three and all-state as a freshman. Maintains all-A grades since the beginning of high school, and participated in National Honor Society for three years including as her chapter’s vice president as a junior and president this school year. Also participated for three years as a member of the Grand Haven Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council and serves as co-chairperson. Played as principal violist in the Holland Area Youth Orchestra the last three years. Will attend the University of Michigan and study biochemistry and botany.
Essay Quote: “Through simple moments between opponents and teammates, a sense of commonality of purpose and an appreciation for the unique paths that athletes take in life can be experienced. Sportsmanship has acted, and will continue to act, as the catalyst for the development of stronger athletes, brighter scholars and better human beings.”
Anthony William Canonie, South Haven
Played four seasons of varsity soccer and varsity basketball and expects to play his fourth varsity baseball season this spring. Served or will serve as captain of each team for two seasons. Named all-state in soccer twice and owns his school’s goals and overall points records and is tied for the assists record; also named all-league three seasons in both basketball and baseball. Named academic all-state for soccer and is a three-year member of the National Honor Society. Has achieved all-A grades since the start of high school. Participated in the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) student community service organization and Fellowship of Christian Athletes both for four years and also volunteers as both a member of his church’s youth group and the Lil’ Rams Basketball Organization. Undecided on where he will attend college, but intends to study finance and accounting.
Essay Quote: “On the court, I saw (Lil’ Rams) kids running around, each trying to be superstars and not working as a team. There were sore losers and boastful winners, and I knew what my role in this program would be. I would teach the kids the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship, just as my idols had taught me.”
John Gatti, Grosse Ile
Playing his second season of varsity ice hockey and will play his fourth season of golf this spring, and also played three seasons of varsity tennis. Qualified for the MHSAA Tennis Finals as both a sophomore and junior and was named his team’s Most Improved Player both of those seasons while earning all-league honors. Won his hockey team’s Coaches’ Award as a junior and is captain this winter; also will be captain of the golf team this spring. Served in student government four years including as executive board president. Also serves as vice president of the Michigan Associations of Student Councils and Honor Societies state board. Participated in National Honor Society the last two years and as a section leader of his marching band. Served two years as communications officer of his school’s Students Taking a New Direction organization and received a Ronald Reagan Student Leader Award. Undecided where he will attend college but will study biochemistry.
Essay Quote: “What those players seemed to understand is that the way one wins and the way one conducts himself during competition is more important than the outcome. ... Ideally, all student athletes would take the lessons learned from sports and use them to positively influence our peers by setting a good example.”
Nicholas Linck, Grand Rapids West Catholic
Participated in four varsity seasons of tennis and swimming and diving and also participated in track and field for two seasons. Helped the tennis team win its first Regional title ever as sophomore, then served as captain as a junior and senior and finished Lower Peninsula Division 4 runner-up this fall at No. 3 singles. Set a conference swimming and diving record in the 100-yard freestyle and broke two school records as a junior, when he qualified for the MHSAA Finals in three events. Serves as captain of the swimming and diving team. Ranks as salutatorian of his class and serves as vice president of his National Honor Society chapter. Participated in Interact Rotary with the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids and on the Kids Food Basket Youth Action Board. Helped in raising more than $8,000 for a greenhouse designed by his pre-engineering class. Undecided where he will attend college, but plans to study environmental engineering.
Essay Quote: “In educational athletics, winning is certainly not everything. Winning does not raise our salaries. It is just something that we can take pride in. .. Sportsmanship on these teams is something that can truly define us. The level of sportsmanship one has is seen through a fair line call, an extended hand to help out an opponent or through simply a smile.”
Noah Nicholl, Yale
Played three years of varsity football and two of varsity basketball plus participated two seasons in track and field. Made his all-league first team as both a junior and senior and was named his team’s Most Valuable Player this fall, when he also served as captain. Helped his basketball team to a conference championship as a junior. Served in student government the last two years including as class vice president, and also participated in National Honor Society three years and as his chapter’s vice president. Participated as a Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLEAD) ambassador and was named a State of Michigan Patriot Contest essay honoree. Serves as chief deputy squire of his Knights of Columbus chapter and participates as a mentor for his school’s Promoting Academic and Social Success program; also has served as a youth basketball camp instructor for four years. Undecided on where he will attend college, but plans to study chemistry.
Essay Quote: “The attribute of sportsmanship is what allows athletes to compete with tenacity while there is still time on the clock, and yet, allows them to respectfully shake hands after the final whistle, commending the opponent on a contest hard fought. It definitively identifies the values of a true champion.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Greer Elizabeth Clausen, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood; Abigail Brown, Caro; Lindsey Brewis, Dearborn Divine Child; Callie Jensen, Gladstone; Grace Bosma, Hastings; Kylee Nemetz, Hastings, Amanda M. Metz, Otsego; Alexandra J. Grys, Portland; Kiersten Mead, Saginaw Swan Valley; Alea Penner, Sturgis; Angela Maurer, Williamston; and Alana Koepf, Yale.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Tye Wittenbach, Belding; Carl Steinhauser, Berrien Springs; Ryan Spaulding, Freeland; Joseph Corey, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Matt Johnson, Hastings; Richard Cassell, Jackson Lumen Christi; Ben Woodruff, Jackson Northwest; Ismail Aijazuddin, Madison Heights Lamphere; Zachary A. Ohs, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central; Michael T. von Kronenberger, West Branch Ogemaw Heights; Trenton Karle, Three Rivers; and Daniel Kosiba, Vicksburg.
The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 4, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 18.
Farm Bureau Insurance, one of Michigan's major insurers, has a statewide force of more than 400 agents serving more than 380,000 Michigan policyholders. Besides providing life, home, auto, farm, business and retirement insurance, the company also sponsors life-saving, real-time Doppler weather tracking systems in several Michigan communities.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.