SAC Sound-Off: One Team, One Community
December 3, 2012
By Matt Freeman
Owosso senior
OWOSSO, Michigan (population 15,000) – To our town, the high school football program had been in a tailspin since its first playoff appearance in 2001.
A group of 24 seniors, 11 juniors and one sophomore decided to change that direction this fall.
Owosso, 3-6 in 2010 and 5-4 in 2011, had tasted success during the previous two years – especially considering our four straight 1-8 finishes from 2006-09. Although the program had not returned to the level of competitiveness set by teams of the mid-1990s, there was hope leading into this fall.
So naturally, during the spring and summer leading up to the beginning of practice, my teammates and coaches were bombarded with questions about this year’s team. It was simple; if we played the way we knew we could, then we would have a great opportunity in front of us. And as the season rolled on, I came to understand just how much our town was cheering us on.
Growing up in a rural community in a family that has lived here since the turn of the 20th century, if I don’t know someone, someone else in my family knows that person. So I was tied in some way to many of the people packing the stands and hoping for us to achieve our lofty expectations.
Splitting the first two games and winning a nail-biter against Haslett, we landed ourselves at 2-1 to start. After two losses and a win, we found ourselves at 3-3 with three games to play: against Ionia, Birmingham Groves and Eaton Rapids. We had to win all three to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years – and we pulled it off, with three of our four biggest wins of the entire regular season.
Next up was the Sunday Selection Show and more backing from our neighbors. For the event, the whole team and lots of fans went to one of our local restaurants that had supported us throughout the season. The show came on at 6 p.m., and we were pretty sure we were going to be in Division 3; we just didn't know who our opponent would be.
Finally it came across the screen: CADILLAC. We were going to play Cadillac that Friday at 7 p.m. We were excited, but also a bit disappointed; the game was so far away. To us, this meant that we would not have a good crowd – just the die-hard parents would be willing to make the trip.
Soon, I learned just how much our team meant to the rest of our fans.
Our football team was the buzz of the school that week, but we tried to stay all business. We knew we had the opportunity to do what no football team in the history of our school had done before – actually win a playoff game. That thought alone drove us. We had the best week of practice since the beginning of the season. Everyone was sharp and focused on one common goal. But we still knew it was going to take a lot more than a couple good practices to win this game.
I stop at our local Speedway station, north of town, to get a coffee almost every day on my way to school. That Thursday, Nov. 1, was no different. Yes, it was the day before a game, but I was not about to break my routine.
I was standing in line with my large coffee waiting to pay when I heard a voice next to me. An older man, wearing old jeans and an old coat that had seen more winters than I had, looked at me and said, “Very proud of what you boys are doing.”
“Thank you,” I said, not expecting the conversation to go further.
“I've been to every home game this year, and I’ll be making the drive to Cadillac tomorrow too. Keep it up,” he then added.
I said thank you again, paid for my coffee and left. I then realized what had just happened
Suddenly, I was hit with a lot of questions. Who was this man? How did he know me? Did I know him and just forget? I then realized that I was wearing my varsity jacket, and that solved how he knew I was on the football team.
After stewing on it for a while, I came to the conclusion that no, I didn't know him, nor did he know me. But yet, he felt like he knew me, because of the jersey I was putting on every Friday at 7.
I posted about it on Facebook and told my team, but no one felt what I felt. He didn't know me from Adam. We very easily could have passed by, not knowing each other, and not caring much about it. But he didn't pass by; he stopped because I had on a blue and gold coat, and he was blue and gold in his heart.
To this day I don’t know his name, and I probably never will. But I know he was in the stands come Friday, cheering us on.
When Friday rolled around, the nerves set in. In fact, that day from 8 a.m. until the end of school was a blur. But 2 p.m. did eventually roll around, and we got on the bus and started our 2-hour, 30-minute ride north to Cadillac. We had a police and fire truck escort to the outskirts of town, which was so amazing. As we neared the city limits, our coach stood up and told us to look out the window. Lining both sides of the street were our player signs, with everyone’s names and numbers on them. A local resident had done this so we could see them as we left town. That was our first hint that this was going to be different than any game we’d played in before.
With a few stops we rolled into Cadillac at 5 p.m. Chomping at the bit to play the game, we went into the locker room and came out about 6 to see the visitor stands already half full, while our two student buses hadn't arrived. We warmed up and went in the locker room with 15 minutes until game time.
When the time came for the National Anthem, we gathered two by two and trotted our way to the field. We quickly noticed our visitor stands were over-flowing with people, with the Cadillac stands not 60 percent full at kickoff. Owosso, a town 130-plus miles away, had more people in its stands than the home team. We were all so proud of our team, our coaches and our community. It was then that we realized just what this team meant to our town.
We won that game with a dominating second half; the Trojans of Owosso finally had their first-ever playoff win. Without a doubt, the mass of fans in the stands was remarkable, as was the way the team played that night.
I've been around Owosso football ever since I can remember, and the volume and energy that night rivaled our best home games. I don’t think there is a guy on our team who will forget that night, ever. I know I won’t, and I do not think our community will either.
Matt Freeman, Owosso senior
- Sports: Football and basketball.
- Non-sports activities: Hunting and fishing.
- Favorite class: Mythology
- Up next: Freeman is considering multiple college football scholarship offers. He intends to study business.
- Shining moment: Freeman was a significant contributor this season as Owosso made the football playoffs for the second time ever and won its first playoff game in school history. The Trojans beat Cadillac 27-14.
- Pump-up jams: Anything classic rock; bands like Journey, Boston and Van Halen.
- Must-see TV: "MythBusters," "Pawn Stars," and ESPN "SportsCenter."
- Favorite films: "The Italian Job," "Remember the Titans," and "S.W.A.T."
PHOTO: Owosso senior Matt Freeman begins emerging from his defensive stance during his team's playoff win over Cadillac this season. Freeman, a two-way lineman, was recently named Division 3 all-state by the Detroit Free Press and earned Division 3-4 all-state honorable mention from The Associated Press. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
And the 2022 BOTF Winner is ...
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2022
Few have studied up for the MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans as much as Traverse City West senior Patrick Guiney did before the start of this year’s BOTF X competition.
He watched all of the finalists’ videos from the first nine years, and many of the semifinalists’ as well, diving in to uncover the best strategies to help he and his classmates deliver the Bleacher Creatures their second BOTF championship.
Of course, he watched all of Traverse City West’s past videos too, trying to see if those past sections had done something well that the current Creatures should incorporate this year, and to figure out where those past sections may have fallen short.
But watching all of those schools, his and others, also left a pretty significant impression about what BOTF, and more generally student sections, should be about.
“I think it’s really about bringing people together, leaving whatever is going on just letting go of it for a while and enjoying a big game with your friends,” Guiney said. “Maybe meeting some new people, and knowing that no matter what you’ll be welcomed with open arms. It’s just a really positive environment that I feel everybody should be part of because (student sections) are just so much fun.”
The Bleacher Creatures have had a ton of fun this school year. And they’ve earned statewide fame to add to their memories of the experience.
Traverse City West will accept its Battle of the Fans X championship banner during halftime of the first Division 2 Boys Basketball Semifinal on March 25 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. Finalists Buchanan and Midland Dow also have been invited to Breslin to be honored 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, Instagram and TikTok sites. A total of 8,964 social media votes was received. The addition of TikTok this year added to the engagement substantially, as TikToks using the hashtag #MHSAABOTF2022 were viewed more than 700,000 times.
The Student Advisory 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. Nine semifinalists were selected from the original application group before Buchanan, Midland Dow and Traverse City West were chosen for MHSAA visits. Howell, Imlay City, North Muskegon, Petersburg Summerfield, Spring Lake and Yale also were semifinalists.
In addition to their other championship year, the Bleacher Creatures also were finalists in 2014 and 2017. Buchanan was a finalist for the seventh time this winter and has won championships in 2013, 2018 and 2020. Midland Dow entered the competition this year for the first time.
Below are our final takeaways from this year’s finalist visits:
Community Doesn’t Graduate: Buchanan
What we saw: At a game otherwise moderately attended by adults and opposing students, The Herd was out in force – as usual. After 10 years of Battle of the Fans, Buchanan students have reached a point in history where cheering on their teams and showing tons of spirit is all they’ve known – and especially as high school leaders have traveled to the middle and elementary schools every year to cultivate that culture. Herd leaders make games into gatherings, and this was just another during a year full of them as COVID-19 has eased. We watched this year’s Herd cheer the boys basketball team to a big win, but also sing and dance and just enjoy being back with each other in the stands, with plenty of representation from throughout the school as nearly half the student body showed.
Why we’re fans: A question we discuss after every BOTF visit is if we would’ve wanted to be part of the cheering section we just watched – and we’ve always left Buchanan with a resounding “Yes.” We’ve said this before, but every school would be served to replicate or at least borrow some of what Buchanan has created over the last decade. The relationships between high school leaders and the younger students who are following them, the ties between the athletes and their classmates cheering for them, and the connections between current Herd members and the people who came before them defines community.
Accept the Challenge Award: Midland Dow
What we saw: First-time BOTF applicant Dow will always have our respect for becoming the first to invite the MHSAA to an away game. The schedule caused them to bring us instead to Midland High, but the Chargers really impressed us with their organization, positivity and engagement throughout the game despite the rival Chemics’ win on the court. We dug the Doctors & Nurses theme and especially the fundraiser (again, at a road game) to buy snacks for local emergency room workers. Also notable – Dow has state-ranked girls basketball and hockey teams this winter, and the Chargers’ leadership includes members of both who put in additional time to make this section spark on top of commitments to those title-chasing sports teams.
Why we’re fans: The road game wasn’t the only challenge Dow accepted this school year. Of course, all of our finalists were left to restart their sections after COVID-19 spectator limits over the last 18 months, and Dow did so in a way others should copy – notably, stepping up their social media game and becoming a force not just at football and basketball but volleyball, soccer and hockey as well. Dow has had a section in years past but raised its game this fall and winter. We’re looking forward to seeing more – and next time at “Herb’s House” for a Dow home game.
Battle of the Fans champion: Traverse City West
What we saw: First off, possibly more fans than we’ve seen before, and stacked from the first row to the top of the high-rising bleachers. After past visits with the Bleacher Creatures, we were plenty familiar with the section’s organizational structure and leadership by its student senate, but we really admire how this year’s senators have embraced a fresh look to attract students from all grades and all activities to be part of the fun. Frankly, the Men’s Dance Team performance at halftime was pretty impressive – especially the aerials – and we can’t say enough about how much the drumline brings to the overall atmosphere of the game, especially working with the student section to rally the home team. Guiney regularly conducts interviews with fans in the stands and athletes from the various teams (and previously actors from the theater cast too) that are some parts serious but most parts silly, and getting all of those voices involved adds to the feeling of togetherness.
Why we’re fans: We’ve seen big crowds before. We’ve seen fans get crazy and sing and dance. We’ve seen fun halftime shows and entertaining quarter-break antics. All make student sections awesome.
But what really stuck out about this year’s Bleacher Creatures is the lengths they undertake to make a 1,600-student school feel much smaller. Leaders told us stories about how in past years, the school’s senate and by extension the Bleacher Creatures were thought to be just for the “cool kids” or certain social groups, and busting that reputation was a goal as the section reunited in the fall.
What they’ve achieved that way is a much more meaningful legacy that will be passed on by this year’s seniors, along with a revived championship student section.
Guiney and his classmates may be living it right now, but the significance isn't lost on them.
"I remember talking with some of my close friends who also (are involved) with the student section, during the early stages of this," he recalled. "(Saying) if we can win this and make our impact, that will last for a long time, and that will definitely fuel students of the future.
"I know that inspiring those kids and showing them how awesome a student section can be will definitely have a positive impact on the future of TC West and ensure that kids will be able to go to student sections with the same energy and have the same amount of fun. Because everybody deserves to have that experience."
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. (Photos by Alan Newton/Newton Photography; click for more from this BOTF visit.)
Buchanan
Read all about it: Buchanan's 'Herd' Begins New Era with Same Bucks Energy
Midland Dow
Read all about it: Dow Aims to Give Teams Advantage with Charger Spirit
Traverse City West
Read all about it: West's Creatures Filling Bleachers with Support for Titans Teams