SAC Sound-off: Cheers to Remember
January 31, 2012
The Izzone. Cameron Crazies. Maize Rage. All of these student section names are synonymous with energy and enthusiasm. Every school, no matter how big or small, has fans just like these who want to support their schools’ student athletes.
For the MHSAA Student Advisory Council's “Battle of the Fans,” we set out to find high school student 
sections that not only supported their schools, but did so in a creative manner. Fifteen council members and I judged the submitted videos on organization, leadership, creativity and noise.
As I watched, some cheers really stuck out. Saginaw Valley Lutheran High had a cheer that praised Jesus not only for its team, but also the opponent. Rockford took the “I Believe” cheer to another level, using roughly 50 bottles of baby powder to create a minute-long haze over the field while screaming "I believe that we will win!"
Not only has this competition been a huge success so far with nearly 20 entries, but it really hit home for me.
As a senior at Grand Blanc High School, I have waited four years to stand in the front row and lead our student section – with two of my best friends – for football and basketball games. For us, Friday nights at “The Frank,” our home football stadium, are some of the most fun times of the year.
As a student section, we valiantly attempted to create a fun atmosphere and support our fellow students. We did things like costume night over Halloween weekend to get our section going. Although things like this were way past fun, we were at these games to support our classmates and friends.
Throughout my senior year, the times I have had in the student section have created a bond with my fellow students unlike anything I have done before. These moments will last me a lifetime, and the camaraderie has helped me form friendships that will last forever.
After I was done judging all of the videos, it was so difficult for me to pick just five. I knew every single person, in every student section, was having a great time and creating wonderful memories. For that reason, I encourage every student to go out and cheer on your classmates. You will have more fun than you could ever imagine. As one of my favorite quotes exclaims, "It isn't how many breaths you take, but how many moments take your breath away."
It could be the raucous atmosphere created after a triple-overtime playoff win, or a bond forged in the tension of a nail-biter against a cross-town rival. These moments and friendships in a student cheering section will be everlasting.
Bailey Truesdell, Grand Blanc senior
- Sport: Golf
- Non-sports activities: National Honor Society, DECA leadership program, Tutoring
- Favorite class: Student Store
- Must-see TV: "Entourage"
- One shining moment: My best sports moment was winning my first-ever high school golf tournament as a freshman.
- What’s next: After high school, I will be attending Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, to play golf and study business finance.
- My favorite part of game day is: … the thoughts that run through my mind all day prior to when I take to the course, mostly speculating as to how I will do, and visualizing my plan to succeed.
PHOTO courtesy of Bailey Truesdell (middle, in flannel shirt, with Grand Blanc's cheering section during a football game this fall).
Performance of the Week: Bridgman's Chuck Pagel
June 23, 2023
Chuck Pagel ♦ Bridgman
Sophomore ♦ Baseball
Pagel threw a complete game, striking out five batters while allowing only three hits and a walk, as Bridgman defeated top-ranked Algonac 7-1 in the Division 3 Final to clinch the Bees’ first baseball championship since 1987. Bridgman had entered the postseason ranked No. 16 in the Division 3 state coaches poll and finished 33-9.
The team’s cleanup hitter, Pagel had gone hitless in Bridgman’s 3-2 Semifinal win over Standish-Sterling. But he rebounded at the plate in the Final going 2 for 3 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in one. He was named to the Division 3 all-state second team as a first baseman and finished the season hitting .395 with 36 runs scored, 15 doubles and 44 RBI. He also was 8-4 pitching with a 2.21 ERA. Pagel also has played basketball and football for the Bees.
Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.
MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
2022-23 Honorees
June 15: Hadley Keating, Detroit Country Day lacrosse - Report
June 8: David Kozisek, Pickford track & field - Report
June 1: Helena McLellan, Northville soccer - Report
May 25: Mitchel Luck, Linden lacrosse - Report
May 18: Ahava Le Febre, Holland tennis - Report
May 11: Gracie Maloney, Macomb Dakota softball - Report
May 4: Braxton Brann, Ann Arbor Huron track & field - Report
April 27: Owen Patton, Vestaburg track & field - Report
April 20: Lilly Damm, Millington softball - Report
April 13: Larissa Huffman, Mackinaw City track & field - Report
April 6: Darius Acuff, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
March 23: Regan Finkbeiner, Hemlock basketball - Report
March 16: Alaina Yaney, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Report
March 9: Braeden Davis, Dundee wrestling - Report
March 2: Gabriel Sanchez-Burks, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Feb. 23: Grace Sobczak, Marquette swimming - Report
Feb. 16: Kaitlynn Demers, Gibraltar Carlson competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 9: Indya Davis, West Bloomfield basketball - Report
Feb. 2: Braydon Sorenson, Onekama skiing - Report
Jan. 26: Shayna Hruska, Iron Mountain wrestling - Report
Jan. 19: Kayla Tafanelli, Warren Woods-Tower bowling - Report
Dec. 20: Brenden Paden, Riverview Gabriel Richard hockey - Report
Dec. 16: Tuff Scott, Holton bowling - Report
Dec. 9: Macey Fegan, Standish-Sterling basketball - Report
Dec. 2: Treyton Siegert, Gladwin football - Report
Nov. 24: Lily Witte, Dexter diving - Report
Nov. 17: Navea Gauthier, Shelby volleyball - Report
Nov. 10: Derek Huisman, Holland Christian soccer - Report
Nov. 3: Thomas Westphal, New Baltimore Anchor Bay cross country - Report
Oct. 27: Justin Wickey, Colon football - Report
Oct. 20: Owen DeMuth, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood tennis - Report
Oct. 13: Mia Melendez, Ann Arbor Greenhills golf - Report
Oct. 6: Shawn Foster, Grand Ledge football - Report
Sept. 30: Hannah Smith, Temperance Bedford swimming - Report
Sept. 22: Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Sept. 15: Nina Horning, Lake Orion volleyball - Report
Sept 8: Arturo Romero, Muskegon Oakridge soccer - Report
Sept. 1: Austin King, Midland Dow tennis - Report
Aug. 25: Olivia Hemmila, Troy Athens golf - Report