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Revived Blue Crew Continues to Thrive

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 6, 2018

PETOSKEY – When Dominick Murray’s older sister was a high school senior in 2012, Petoskey’s Blue Crew was a top-five finalist in the inaugural Battle of the Fans.

Three years later, then-freshman Dominick was “really iffy” about the whole thing and didn’t go to a game.

The once-proud Blue Crew had all but faded away. But in 2016-17, the section was reborn and returned to the BOTF Finals. And that wasn’t a one-hit wonder – Petoskey welcomed the MHSAA for Friday’s boys basketball game against Traverse City West as one of three finalists vying for this year’s Battle of the Fans VII championship.

Petoskey’s student section isn’t just back. It’s all the way back and better than ever before.

“There’s a lot of things stressful in high school, extremely stressful,” Petoskey senior Isabella Rowe said. “So coming to a basketball game or a football game or whatever kind of sport, just getting to focus on encouraging your classmates, getting to see people smile when Danny (Kolp) or anyone just dunks that basketball and everyone just jumps up in the air – it’s the coolest experience and the whole gym is so happy.”

We met with Rowe, Murray, seniors Jake Lee, Carly Williams, Jack Paulsen and David Paquette, and junior Taylor Whitman to discuss all that is the Petoskey Blue Crew.

BOTF is a competition, of course, and this year’s tour stop reports will follow a format similar to a typical game night – starting with a gameplan other schools can incorporate if they wish to join the fun, followed by our video from the tour stop and then more on why the section is considered one of the state’s best.

Petoskey’s Gameplan

Take some of these tips from the Blue Crew:

• It’s not a one-person show. Start as early as you can and get as many passionate people as possible to join in the planning. 

• Find out what students want. Petoskey’s love theme nights – and you’ve got to give fans who aren’t necessarily into sports incentives to keep them coming back for more.

• Work with your school administrators, finding out what you’re allowed to do and how they can help.

• Get social. There’s no better way to get out the good word than through social media. It’s the best way to let your classmates know what events are coming up.

• Get younger students involved, be it underclassmen or even middle school and elementary fans. They’re the ones who will be carrying on the traditions moving forward, and instilling pride and a sense of belonging early is valuable. 

Pregame Prep

The last regular-season game of last season, at Boyne City, remains memorable because of how the section traveled and dressed up and made it festive. Not long after, Rowe and Lee – juniors who were part of the main organizing group – began reaching out for new help on social media and together coming up with people they thought might be good additions to the Blue Crew’s leadership.

What they found in part were a lot of classmates who were interested in coming to games and helping lead cheers on the floor – but not necessarily planning behind the scenes. Both are important, of course, and by the end of May the “core group” for this year’s Blue Crew had just about taken shape.

That core group put together a list of theme nights, ranked which should be on the biggest games, and in August started filling in a calendar (Rowe and Williams have put a new one together for every month). The leaders also put together a “rules and guidelines sheet” including things like how seating will work (you get the best seats by showing up earliest, not based on grade, etc.). They started thinking up ideas to get underclassmen more involved in the section and eventually began working with their National Honor Society and DECA chapters and SAFE in Northern Michigan to help with finances and provide giveaways like lanyards.

In fact, the Blue Crew already is working on next year – at least a little bit – putting together the materials Whitman will need to take over when most of these leaders graduate, plus suggesting classmates who could take their places.

Game Time

Petoskey turned its gym into a safari-themed “jungle” for our visit, and packed its home stands despite the girls basketball team playing at Alpena and the hockey team hosting Alpena for a cancer benefit game in honor of freshman Evelyn Schwarz, who is undergoing chemotherapy while battling the disease.

The Blue Crew made sure to take part in that special event, raising money with a “miracle minute” between the first and second quarters. The Crew also had plans to finish the night by joining other classmates cheering at the hockey game after the basketball team was done.

“When you’re not part of a major sport – there’s not many fans at a ski race; nobody’s going to come out to the hill – (like with) soccer, before last year there was literally nobody there, and this year for the first time people are actually singing in the stands like you’d see in a professional game or something,” said Paquette, who played soccer and ski races. “It’s so cool, and it really gives you energy and support. It’s cool that your peers are supporting you for what you do, and I want to do (the same) because I love the positive energy we can give the basketball program, and I think it helps them better on the court too.”

A major change to the Blue Crew this school year has been the variety of teams it’s cheering. Football always is big, and basketball is the main draw up north during the winter. But the Crew made its share of volleyball matches during the fall and soccer games for the first time. Hockey has joined the winter rotation.

The BOTF Semifinal “Challenge Round” over 12 days last month also provided an opportunity for the Crew to grow its reach and continue its focus this year on getting more younger students involved. One challenge option gave BOTF semifinalists the opportunity to show how they get the youth involved – and Petoskey took that challenge head on.

The Blue Crew’s big focus for in-game fun this season was on creating great theme nights, but leaders learned something new there too.

Their classmates would get up for the challenge of a creative idea – dressing up for Safari Night gave them options of being a tourist, an animal, or just showing up in green or camouflage. But Crew members also like when themes are simple – wearing the school colors or all white, for example.

In the end, a mix definitely is best.

“(My sister) asked me about it. Obviously we do a lot of things differently than they did,” Murray said. “She wanted to know if some of the traditions still stand. … I told her what we did, and she said she’s much rather be in our student section because she’s an outgoing person and would’ve loved to dress in an ‘80s aerobics outfit.”

Postgame Analysis

The roar is restored. “It hasn’t really crossed people’s minds that much that even just when we were sophomores, (Blue Crew) wasn’t a thing,” Paquette said. “The underclassmen have grown up with this as their only experience. It’s a testament to the culture change we’ve created here, at least for the juniors and seniors to accept that’s what the culture is now. And I think that’s good because it’s probably going to continue it in the future.

We’re all in this together. “I think the reason the Blue Crew died was no one was including the younger classes; now we’re including everyone,” Lee said. “It’s not like we’re split upperclassmen and (under)classmen. We’re all together now, in school and on the court.”

We keep with the theme: “Last year and even before that we filled half of our stands, and now every game is always filled all the way to the top,” Rowe said. “People are pretty good about doing (theme) because we definitely did a ton of different things – just from simple things like color blocks (like blue and white) all the way to an 80s aerobic theme. Carly and I focus on getting calendars set for each month, and of course we try to not do the same thing twice. The girls (basketball) team had its own and boys had its own. We always had relatively good turnouts, and kids were always excited; ‘Hey, you going to the game tonight? What are you wearing?’ That’s always the first question they ask: What are you wearing?”

Spirit is contagious. “I know T.C. West motivated us to be in (Battle of the Fans). And then Boyne City … we were (finalists last year) at the same point. And now Pellston, and I’ve heard kids from Charlevoix want to get involved in the Battle of the Fans competition,” Williams said. “They’ve seen our rules and guidelines sheet and they’re like, this is what we need to do. … It’s just motivation from other schools that’s getting kids started.”

Next stop on BOTF: We also visited Boyne City for its game Friday, and that report and video will publish Feb. 12. We'll finish the 2018 BOTF tour at Buchanan for its Feb. 16 boys basketball game against Berrien Springs.

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

PHOTOS: (Top) Petoskey's Blue Crew roots on its boys basketball team Friday against Traverse City West. (Middle) A member of the Blue Crew takes the night's safari theme prehistoric. (Photos by Larry Tracy/CMA Action Photography.)

Scholars & Athletes 2020: Class B

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 10, 2020

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 10 student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.  

Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 31st 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 the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.

Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. 

Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at a halftime ceremony during the Division 3 Boys Basketball Final, March 28, 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: Hannah Fulmer, Grosse Ile; Alicia Kanai, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Tara Keller, Frankenmuth; Faith Schafer, Williamston; Delaney Wesolek, Bay City John Glenn; Hunter Assenmacher, Ida; Samuel Beach, Hillsdale; Gabriel Hassan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Lucas Kopp, Grosse Ile and Ben Lankfer, Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:

Hannah Fulmer, Grosse Ile
Ran four seasons of cross country and will participate in her fourth of track & field this spring; also played three seasons of basketball including on varsity as a junior. Qualified for the MHSAA Finals in both cross country and track, helping both teams to multiple league titles and the cross country team to a Regional championship. Earned all-state in track and all-area in track and cross country. Serving as captain of both teams this school year. Serving as class president after three years as vice president, and also serving as Key Club president. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and is among those ranked first academically in her class. Participated in church mission trip as a junior and as Vacation Bible School leader and teacher all four years of high school. Will attend Michigan State University’s honors college and major in education.

Essay Quote: “In reality, sports are just sports. They're meant to be enjoyed. If we take them too seriously and don't treat our competitors with respect and kindness, then it goes from being a game to a battle. Additionally, without proper sportsmanship, high schoolers are taught that it is okay to treat our "enemies" with contempt and hostility. We need to be shown, however, that that type of behavior will get you nowhere in life.”

Alicia Kanai, Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Playing third season of varsity basketball and will play third of varsity soccer this spring; also played varsity softball as a freshman. Received “Team First Award” from Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and has served as captain in all three sports. Earned AP Scholar Award and is participating in second year of National Honor Society. Selected to speak at NHS induction ceremony. Participating in third year of math club and second with school’s Writing and Math Center, which she serves as head of communications. Also participates on school’s volunteer board and as Project CHUCK coordinator. Serves as small group and worship leader at her church and treasurer for her Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. Will attend Taylor University (Ind.) and study mathematics.

Essay Quote: “Our behavior on the field reflects our character, our team, our school, and our community. We should play with class not only to positively represent those with whom we are associated but to show others their value. When we are separated by different colored jerseys, we often dehumanize the opponents, viewing them only as a team we need to defeat. However, sportsmanship tears down the barriers and destroys the presumption that opponents are enemies.”

Tara Keller, Frankenmuth
Ran four seasons of cross country, is playing her third of varsity basketball and will play her third of varsity softball this spring. Qualified twice for the MHSAA Cross Country Finals and earned all-conference and academic all-state honors in that sport. Helped basketball and softball teams to District championships. Earned AP Scholar with Honors designation and named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Serving as treasurer in fourth year of student council, and third year as clarinet section leader in marching band. Selected to represent school for Great Lakes Bay Regional Youth Leadership Institute. Participates in school’s Be the Change club and served on local library’s Teen Advisory Board and church’s Youth Leadership Team. Coached youth basketball throughout high school. Will attend Cedarville University (Ohio) and major in pre-medical studies.

Essay Quote: “The purpose of educational athletics is not to boost kids’ egos with championships and all-time bests, but rather to teach teenagers how to handle loss with grace and class, how to treat their rivals, and how to communicate with adults and opponents. … I personally have grown to realize the importance of sportsmanship the longer I have played sports. The things that I love most about athletics now are not the sports themselves, but the atmosphere of joy, selflessness, and love that I associate with them.”

Faith Schafer, Williamston
Ran four seasons of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring; also played two seasons of junior varsity basketball. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in both varsity sports three times and was league champion in track while earning multiple all-league honors. Earned multiple academic all-state honors as well in both varsity sports and served as captain multiple seasons for both. Earned Girls State Citizen Award and named semifinalist for United State Senate Youth Program. Serving as class secretary for both student government and National Honor Society chapter and team administrator for school’s InvenTeams team. Also participating in third year of Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society. Earned various honors during four years of Model United Nations and serves on Lansing Youth Action Committee. Will attend University of Notre Dame and pursue a degree in neuroscience.

Essay Quote: “This is the same sort of culture I have tried to build (with) my own team as a captain – one that encourages sportsmanship at all times, even in the race. … It is a sentiment that cannot be expressed by someone who has not experienced it – like fifth-grade me. If I had been asked what sportsmanship was then, I would have answered with a vague ‘being nice.’ But now, it means far more.”

Delaney Wesolek, Bay City John Glenn
Competed on swimming & diving team for four seasons and will participate in her second of track & field this spring; also played two seasons of subvarsity basketball with a promotion to varsity as a sophomore. Earned multiple all-state swim honors and is a four-time league and area champion, with six school and two area records. Also contributed to all-league team academic honor. Served as captain of swim and basketball teams and selected to multiple leadership conferences including USA Swimming Leadership Summit in Colorado. Serving fourth year as class president and third on student senate’s executive board. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and fourth as part of her district’s Superintendent Leadership Committee; also serving fourth year on Bay Area Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Board. Participated in various volunteer projects and assisted with local grant funding for community youth. Will attend Hope College and study nursing.

Essay Quote: “We all want to win. We all train hard and take our commitment to our sport seriously. This respect makes sportsmanship come easy. We all cheer for each other. We cheer as loud for the last girl to get out of the pool as we do for the first girl. Why? Because we understand the work and dedication that goes into being a student athlete.”

Hunter Assenmacher, Ida
Competing in fourth wrestling season, ran four seasons of cross country and will play third season of varsity baseball in the spring. Earned two MHSAA Finals wrestling championships and finished as runner-up as a freshman, and won Regional title and qualified for MHSAA Finals in cross country. Earned all-league and all-region recognition in baseball. Served as captain of all three teams and earned various league scholar-athlete and sportsmanship awards. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and student council and first in Key Club. Selected as Army Educational Outreach Program’s eCybermission state runner-up as freshman and participating in second year of school’s Peers for Accelerated Learning of Students program. Also participating in school’s role model program for third year and has taken part in various volunteer efforts. Served as youth wrestling referee for county tournament. Will attend Lawrence Technological University and study architectural engineering.

Essay Quote: “Sports provide the opportunity to have fun with your friends and community, improve as an athlete and person, and engage in a healthy lifestyle. When all of this happens, nobody feels like they lost when the final buzzer sounds. However, only when the players, coaches, and spectators all partake in maintaining a positive learning experience can we truly take away all that sports have to offer.”

Samuel Beach, Hillsdale
Played four years of varsity soccer, two of varsity football, is playing his second of varsity basketball and will play his third of varsity golf this spring. Earned all-league recognition in soccer and all-county in football, and served as captain of soccer and golf teams. Serving as class president and president of Interact club and school’s freshman mentor program; also serving on board of National Honor Society chapter. Attained Eagle Scout with a Gold Palm and selected as senior patrol leader for his local and national jamboree troops. Recognized by city and state for Eagle Scout project. Participating in fourth year of Hillsdale County Heritage Association Youth Council and contributed to writing, illustration and publishing of children’s story book. Participating in third year of Business Professionals of America and co-owns auto detailing business. Attended United State Naval Academy Summer Seminar in 2019 and will attend the Naval Academy and study engineering while training toward becoming a Marine Corps officer.

Essay Quote: “How you act on the playing field has an effect on your teammates, whether it be positive or negative. If your teammates see the anger you are displaying towards referees or coaches, they will assimilate the attitude and it will then spread. Whether people believe it or not, people’s attitudes directly affect the mood and overall success of your team.”

Gabriel Hassan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Competing in fourth wrestling season and will play first season of high school lacrosse this spring; ran two seasons of cross country and played multiple season of junior varsity football. Serving third season as captain of wrestling team and is a past individual league champion and MHSAA Finals qualifier; also helped team to league and District titles. Carries a grade-point average above 4.0 and is participating in second year of National Honor Society and also second year of student government. Serving as vice president of Youth Advisory Board and head of marketing for Billy Bear Hug program that serves children with life-threatening illnesses. Founded organization that promotes volunteerism in his area. Selected to represent school at regional Athletic Leadership Seminar. Finalizing college plans but intends to study business.

Essay Quote: “To me (sportsmanship is) about setting a positive example and doing what is right even when there is a risk of losing. Being a member of a team, community, nation and our world, one needs to be a good citizen. I believe being civil and taking part in sports takes a certain type of character; one needs to be inherently willing to feel empathy and take action to understand others.”

Lucas Kopp, Grosse Ile
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, playing second of varsity basketball and will participate in third of track & field this spring; also played junior varsity golf as a freshman. Earned all-league recognition and helped his team to MHSAA Finals in tennis, and also earned all-league scholar-athlete honor in that sport. Served as captain of both tennis and track teams. Earned AP Scholar Award and is participating in third year of National Honor Society. Participating in fourth year of student government and has participated two years each in LINK Crew to mentor freshmen and STAND anti-bullying organization. Serving as executive leader of church youth group and teen liaison to parish council and earned St. Timothy Award from National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministries. Serves as referee in multiple youth sports and participated in Special Olympics Unified Sports program. Selected from among 5,000 applicants to attend Summer Leadership Experience at United States Military Academy at West Point. Finalizing college plans and plans to major in one of the sciences.

Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is not always about winning, but being a winner in more ways than one. Being the one who stops to help a teammate or the friend who shows compassion are what educational athletics are all about.”

Ben Lankfer, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
Played two seasons of varsity tennis and lacrosse and is in his fourth season skiing and first as part of that varsity lineup; also played football as a freshman. Earned doubles flight championships and helped tennis team to two league and Regional titles. Earned academic all-state in tennis and skiing and served as captain in both sports. Earned AP Scholar designation and Capstone Diploma. Received Harvard Book Award and Michigan Seal of Biliteracy. Founded and serving as captain of school’s Science Olympiad team, and serving as head delegate of Model United Nations team. Also serving as editor-in-chief of school newspaper and officer for National Honor Society chapter. Helped debate team to multiple league championships, and also participates in theater. Co-founded and serving as co-president of local PERIOD. chapter and also volunteers for Kid’s Food Basket. Served as research assistant at Aquinas College. Will attend Northwestern University and study biology and biomedical sciences.

Essay Quote: "When I consider the meaning of sportsmanship, it means creating an environment for sports that accepts players no matter their gender, race, or sexual orientation. After all, sports are a place for physical, mental, and emotional growth, not discrimination."

Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Baylee Martens, Battle Creek Pennfield; Eleanor Kwartowitz, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Olivia Prodin, Chelsea; Elizabeth Norris, Corunna; Grace Beardsley, Gladwin; Hannah Johnson, Hastings; Elizabeth Hovest, Ida; Sheridan Leinbach, Lansing Eastern; Katelynn Ceccacci, Ortonville Brandon; Abbey Almeda, Plainwell; and Katherine Topoleski, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.

Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Brice Austin, Alma; Jacob Herman, Berrien Springs; Jack Fairman, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Isaac Joslyn, Caro; Trevin Phillips, Caro; Joseph Norwood, Chelsea; Chris Lilly, Croswell-Lexington; William Roosien III, Hastings; Alex Mitchell, Holland Christian; Jorden Sowash, Owosso; and Andrew Innerebner, Sault Ste. Marie.

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 of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more—protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.

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.