Welcome to the Woods: Small Town, Big Heart
February 18, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BUCHANAN -- Dilan Shearer’s advice for Josh Money was simple enough.
“Shoes and hats. Match,” Shearer used say to his usually mis-matched friend, before providing a fashion upgrade by making Money wear a pair of his Nike Air Jordans.
The MHSAA finished its “Battle of the Fans” tour Friday at Buchanan for its boys basketball game against Bridgman. On his way back to school that afternoon, Money stopped at Shearer’s home and grabbed those Jordans to wear for an occasion that surely would’ve meant the world to his friend. Money knew right where to find the shoes – Shearer’s bedroom is just as it was June 17, the day the Buchanan junior died in a car crash.
Shearer and Money would’ve stood together this winter at the lead of the “The Herd,” which over the last few months has transformed from a loosely-organized group of student cheerers to an example of student section fervor at its most efficient – while rallying their small southwestern community near the Indiana border.
Sadly, the most super of superfans in “The Woods” was not a part of this school year’s incredible effort. But that hardly means Shearer’s influence hasn’t been present since the section’s new start this fall.
“I feel like he’s the backbone of everything,” said Money, who leads the Herd during games with one of Shearer’s cousins and Shearer’s best friend.
“It would have been me and him. During the first meeting (to plan the section), I was thinking, ‘Man, he would love to be here, being crazy.’”
Buchanan was the final stop on the Battle of the Fans tour, which also included visits to Frankenmuth, Vandercook Lake, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Zeeland East. A fan vote will be held on the MHSAA Facebook page beginning Tuesday and ending Thursday, with those results then being combined with a vote by the MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council to determine the champion – which will be announced Friday on Second Half.
Shearer’s death rocked this town of nearly 4,500. He was known to say, “Make a statement everywhere you go,” and “Do it big. Never downsize,” and was recognizable as a regular at Buchanan sporting events.
Money knows his friend would’ve loved how the Herd of nearly 300 strong arrived at 4 p.m. for the freshman game this night. How home basketball nights have become so big in town that the 1,000-fan capacity was filled. How a community member mentioned he’d been coming to game for 30 years, “and I’ve never seen anything remotely like this.”
Coming off the momentum of last year’s inaugural BOTF contest, and prior to the MHSAA Sportsmanship Summit this fall in nearby Kalamazoo, Buchanan athletic director Fred Smith showed Money the video of last year’s champion, Frankenmuth. The Battle was a major focus of this fall’s MHSAA summits, and Smith said he hoped Money and other leaders could create something similar to last year’s champion.
When Money found out Frankenmuth has 507 students – only 40 more than Buchanan – he realized the Bucks could achieve that goal.
But how he and his classmates and advisors made it happen so systematically is something schools would be wise to model.
Smith and Money built out the rest of the leadership team and attended the summit, during which they came up with so many ideas for the new Herd that Smith had a hard time keeping up while writing them down. “I got the chills as we were coming up with the ideas,” sophomore Sam Swem said.
The next step was forming the school’s spirit club. The first meeting drew 15 students; the second drew 30. With Money, Swem and sophomore Ellie Hurd in the lead, the group meets after school Tuesdays and Thursdays for planning, with theme nights spread quickly over Twitter marked with hash tags #FearTheDeer and #TheWoods.
Slogans took off quickly -- “Welcome to the Woods,” “Don’t be a bully, be a Buck,” and during football season, “Stay classy, but a little Bucknasty.” And like for a sports team, the school's booster club has provided the group with funds and supplies.
The leaders then took a “prep rally” on the road to the district’s middle and two elementary schools. They brought along Bucky, the high school’s mascot, to great cheers from the kindergarten, first and second-grade students.
Money, also known as the "Trophy Buck," has become something of a mini-celebrity among the mini students, who rush up to say hi and give him a high five, or say things like “Welcome to the woods” and “Herd dat.”
“‘Herd Dat’ is part of my regular vocabulary,” Money said, referring to the term that plays on the Herd nickname while signifying understanding and agreement.
“It’s a small town, and I’ve been here my whole entire life, so I know everybody here,” Money added. “If I go to the bank or the gas station, people say, ‘How’s the Herd doing? What’s the next theme?’”
“We’re a family, and not just a family within the school,” Swem said. “Even if you’re not at the games, you’re still part of the Herd.”
There’s no doubt, Shearer is also still part of the Herd. The school’s “fan from above” certainly is never far from the Herd’s collective heart.
Lose or win, like the Bucks did Friday, the students pay tribute to their classmate after every final buzzer. They join arms – and the parents have begun to do so as well – and sing Eric Church’s song “Springsteen,” one of Shearer’s favorites.
“I feel like we do it big here, and we never downsize,” Money said, echoing his friend’s favorite sayings, “and we make a statement everywhere we go.”
Swem’s reply simply said it all:
“Herd dat.”
Subway is sponsor of this season's Battle of the Fans II contest.
PHOTOS: (Top) Members of the Herd are joined by players and coaches for the postgame singing of "Springsteen." (Middle) Senior Josh Money leads the Herd through its array of cheers and dances. (Photos courtesy of Caryn DeFreez, DeFreez Photography.)
BOTF X: Dow Aims to Give Teams Advantage with Charger Spirit
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 1, 2022
MIDLAND – The 10th MHSAA “Battle of the Fans” – and first after a COVID-induced pause for 2021 – appropriately started Friday with a never-seen-before experience.
Midland Dow’s student section mostly makes its presence known at “Herb’s House” – the unofficial name of the Chargers’ gymnasium. But Dow hit the road, traveling four miles southeast to rival Midland High for the first of this year’s three finalists visits – the first time a section has ever hosted the MHSAA staff and Student Advisory Council at an away game.
Challenge? Chargers accepted it.
“We want to show up and be the best student section at their school,” Dow senior Daniel Watkins said. “That’s always the best thing ever.
“We bring the same energy. If nothing else, (the road game) almost feeds it more. Not only is it against our rival, but we’re at their place.”
This year’s BOTF X finalists tour also will include visits to Buchanan and Traverse City West.
Below is our highlight reel and 10 “X Factors” from our first stop with Dow’s student section.
1. Battle Plan
As noted, Dow’s section traveled to rival Midland High, which packed its own student cheering section to match. Dow students dressed in scrubs and lab coats for a “Doctors & Nurses” theme and collected money during halftime to buy snacks for the local hospital emergency room staff.
2. This is the Year of Dow
While a Dow student section has existed for years, a number of factors lined up well for this to be the section’s first applying for Battle of the Fans – and making the championship round. A focused group of leaders was eager to get to work after spectator limits kept crowds small during 2020-21.
3. Follow the Leaders
Every year four seniors – two girls and two boys – take over leadership. Those four leaders then select the next year’s leaders, to be announced at an assembly at the end of the school year. This year’s are Watkins, Kourtney Fischer, Abby Rey and Nolan Sanders. “We know the qualities a section leader needs to have, and we’re picking someone we know can handle the job and go the extra mile,” Rey said. “We make sure they’re driven, because it’s not an easy job – sometimes you just want to go to the game, but you have a bigger responsibility. And obviously someone who can communicate, especially with administrators.”
4. Believe in the Spirit Stick
At least since 2014 – when it started appearing in yearbook photos – a Spirit Stick has been the instrument used by leaders to direct the section. The stick is green – and recently repainted – and also recently busted after one end broke off during that hockey game. But section leaders claim it’s still got plenty of magic – when a ball falls out of bounds their way, they make sure the pompom end of the stick sprinkles a little Charger spirit on it before putting it back in play. “It’s powerful, really,” Watkins said. “It changes games.”
5. Strength in Numbers
With an enrollment of nearly 1,300 students, getting a couple hundred to big games is a goal. Section leaders knew there was potential when the section showed in force for the football season opener at University of Michigan – which kicked off at noon on the first Friday of the school year. Despite being on the road this past Friday, nearly 150 students showed for the boys basketball game against the Chemics.
6. Get Social
Without argument, the biggest driver of Dow’s student section strength this year has been the addition of dedicated social media channels. Putting out announcements and themes on Instagram spreads the word, as those posts become part of students’ stories and get passed along quickly. Senior Kimberly Douglas puts together video and the section started a TikTok as well.
7. Making the Difference
Dow’s goal is to affect the game’s outcome – it’s that simple. All four leaders are athletes and know the confidence boost the section can provide. “We just want to be the turning point,” said Sanders, who plays hockey, baseball and runs track. “To allow our sports teams to get the closest to a win as possible … like a sixth man on the court, to help get those extra points. It’s important to understand that we’re not on the court, but we can have a say (in the result).”
8. They’re Everywhere
Dow is part of the Saginaw Valley League, which stretches from Lapeer to Mount Pleasant and makes rallying the section for frequent two-hour road trips difficult. So the section focuses on home events – and not just football and basketball. Watkins would rush from football practice to lead the section during volleyball matches, and the section supported its boys soccer team in the fall and is big at hockey.
9. Coming Attractions
The section drives attendance by taking sporting events up a level in terms of fan participation. That has included some significant setup for football games; before the game against Midland this fall, Fischer and Rey built enough shakers – two solo cups taped together with corn inside – to fill six garbage bags. “Toga” and “Grandma & Grandpa” have been among popular themes, and they expect a big turnout for tonight’s boys basketball game “Teddy Bear Toss” with stuffed animals to be donated to a children’s hospital.
10. Keep it Classy
Behavior can go south during a rivalry game. Friday’s was a perfect example of how it doesn’t have to do so. While there was plenty of responding to each other’s cheers, it was basically some friendly back and forth and there wasn’t a hint of negativity coming from either side. For Dow’s leaders, cheering is more about giving their teams confidence – they don’t like booing, they don’t do the “who cares” during pregame introductions and they don’t tear opponents down. “That’s the way we do things,” Rey said. “It’s always positive. (Our students) respect that; they know that. They should be cheering out there for our team, and nothing else.”
The Battle of the Fans X finalists tour will resume Friday at Buchanan and conclude Feb. 8 at Traverse City West, with the champion announced Feb. 18.
PHOTOS (Top) Senior Daniel Watkins leads Dow’s cheering section with the Spirit Stick during Friday’s boys basketball game at Midland. (Middle) Students cheer on their classmates during a "Doctors & Nurses" theme night. (Below) Senior Abby Rey, front in purple, helps lead the section after scoring a team-high 16 points in the girls basketball team’s win over the Chemics to begin the evening. (Photos by Kaylee Emrick/Midland Dow Yearbook staff.)