And the champion is ... Frankenmuth

February 24, 2012

We are going to dance and have some fun.

That was hardly the entire story behind this season’s inaugural MHSAA “Battle of the Fans” champion.

But energy – from the opening tip to the final buzzer and despite a blowout win decided early on – is what set Frankenmuth High School’s fans a notch above four other finalists in this season’s search to find Michigan’s top student cheering section.

"It's kinda what we wanted to do when we started out. We really wanted to be the biggest, the best, the most creative, the loudest, the most outgoing. And that's obviously what we've done now," said Frankenmuth senior Brennan Webb, one of the section's founders and leaders. "I could tell since we started doing this last year and this year, people started bringing better student sections to games against us because they knew we were going to bring (fans). We influenced all the teams we've played. It's really awesome. You feel good." 

When it came to atmosphere -- positive, festive and fun -- the Eagles started early and didn't stop until long after the final buzzer sounded.

Frankenmuth was chosen based on votes both by the MHSAA’s 16-member Student Advisory Council and a public vote on the MHSAA’s Facebook page. More than 8,500 fans voted in the MHSAA Facebook poll, with those results then equated against a school’s enrollment.

Based on votes per student, Reese topped the Facebook poll, followed by Petoskey and Frankenmuth in third.The Student Advisory Council based its vote on the following criteria: positive sportsmanship, volume of student section, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of group and student section leadership.

The SAC vote put Frankenmuth over the top.

Other numbers to consider from this season's contest: The 19 application videos have been watched more than 20,500 times, and the MHSAA-produced videos from our tour stops have more than 12,400 views. The message of sportsmanship and the benefits of a strong student section have been heard.

And here are a few common themes we saw -- and heard ourselves -- during the MHSAA tour of the five finalists over the last five weeks. 

  • Have pride in your school, and support your classmates. For all five sections, it’s that simple. Creating a positive cheering atmosphere transforms game night for not just fans, but the athletes they’re rooting on.
  • Get organized. Facebook was the main mode for that, although Rockford also is leaps ahead of most when it comes to communicating via Twitter. Schedules of events, rules, questions and answers; all can be addressed by reaching your section en mass with social media.
  • Work with the administration, not against. The complaint is common that student sections would like to do cool stuff – if the athletic director/principal/etc. would be cool about it. These five sections all have understandings with their administrators – who in turn trust them to be appropriate, and allow them to get creative.
  • It really does pay off. In some cases, developing a student section ended a cycle of bad sportsmanship. In all cases, finalists proved they could be loud, positive, fun and above all supportive WITHOUT bashing the opposing team or student section.

Bottom line: All five finalists are winners for simply getting involved. All brought something new and plenty of excitement to games that have been played for nearly 100 years in this state. And all deserve special recognition.

First, we'll recognize the four runners-up: 

No Rest, No Weary Award: Grand Rapids Christian’s Eagle Nation

What we saw: The best halftime show in the state. Eagle Nation supports its team on the floor, but halftime belongs to the fans – and the Eagles deliver. Breaks are few and last maybe 20 seconds apiece. It’s like a show within a game; when the second quarter horn sounds, Eagle Nation hits the stage.

Why we’re fans: If the word is unity, the definition is Grand Rapids Christian. We visited on Neon Night, which was embraced by everyone – and not just the cheering section, but the players who came out for warm-ups sporting pieces of neon flare as well. Eagle Nation is more than 400 strong, and keeping that many fans organized and active for an entire game is a daunting task. But Eagle Nation pulls it off and sets the foundation for the future by meeting with middle school students to pass on their lessons in appropriate sportsmanship. 

A-Plus Award: Petoskey’s Blue Crew

What we saw: The Blue Crew, as the section has been known for nearly a decade, didn’t mutter a negative word the entire game against West Branch Ogemaw Heights – a game, by the way, that clinched a league championship for the Northmen’s boys team. That, in itself, is laudable. And this section has more history than the other four finalists combined.

Why we’re fans: The Blue Crew builds support from all over, be it elementary and middle schoolers who gather at the sides of the section, or alumni and parents who add to the cause. Petoskey’s opponents are spread all over the northern Lower Peninsula – and the Blue Crew logs plenty of miles to keep up. The student council provides consistent and strong leadership. And don’t forget about the jazz band, which we felt was on par with any we’ve heard at college games.

All In Award: Reese’s Rowdy Rockets

What we saw: At Reese, the smallest community among our finalists, it’s truly a community effort. Nearly half of the student body filled the section during our visit, on top of the crew of parents, relatives and other residents who support the Rockets on a regular basis. Oh, and despite having such a small voting base, the Rockets rocked our Facebook poll with easily the highest percentage of voters compared to the size of the school’s student body.

Why we’re fans: The Rowdy Rockets get going early – and keep going all game. The pre-game announcement of “Hey Rockets, guess what? It’s game time,” sets the tone for the rest of the night. And Reese did some things that bigger schools probably couldn’t pull off, like creating a tunnel for the players as they entered the gym and staging a class-vs.-class tug-of-war during halftime.

Pure Power Award: Rockford’s Ram Nation

What we saw: What seemed like a thousand fans in black T-shirts blocking out an entire side of Rockford’s gym. The number was closer to 500, but the magnitude was obvious; Rockford is the biggest school among the finalists, and represented as such.

Why we’re fans: Rockford’s lights out introductions (watch the video to see it) easily was our favorite gimmick – which makes sense if you’ve also seen the video of their baby powder explosion during football season. Ram Nation has great ideas and executes them. And they get a special shout out for making every home game a fund raiser for some charity – the support from Ram Nation extends to its athletes, but outside the building as well.

But there can be only one winner. Drum roll, please ...

Battle of the Fans Champion: Frankenmuth

What we saw: All five finalists created an atmosphere of fun. But Frankenmuth’s defined festive. No finalist rallied from start to finish like the Eagles. The other four finalists brought a number of positives to the table. Frankenmuth combined them all.

Why we're fans: Everyone is invited. That’s become a theme of Frankenmuth’s section, which encourages participation from not just other Eagles fans, but opposing fans as well.

They danced a lot and sang some too, but were into the game the entire time. Frankenmuth’s cheerers had specific cheers for each player, for free throws, for pre-game introductions and just about anything else that goes into a basketball game. And like Petoskey, not a negative word was heard -- unless the Eagles fans were making fun of themselves or their players for air-balling a shot or getting one blocked.

We visited for a theme night, which would be a big hit on its own. But leaders kept the full section engaged for the entire game.

And talk about creative ... a lot of sections do great things that they've never seen before -- but we have. Not so at Frankenmuth, where originality reigned.

"I hope we can start a really huge tradition for our school. I hope people look at this and follow along with what we've done, and keep this tradition going forever," Webb said. "People will know this is how it started, and this is how it's going to be." 

All five finalists will have another day on a bigger stage – clips from all five MHSAA tour stops will be shown during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at the Breslin Center.

And all five will serve as examples of what a great thing a student cheering section can be -- and how other schools can do the same in years to come. 

Congratulations to all of our finalists, and especially to our champions.

Click to check out our the stories and videos behind the finalists. Also, click to see student-produced videos from all 19 sections who entered the contest. Photo courtesy of the Frankenmuth News.

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.