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Battle of the Fans: We Are Ram Nation

February 7, 2012

ROCKFORD – Standing near the front and center of Rockford’s massive sea of black Friday, six students all played significant roles in keeping 500 of their closest classmates organized and focused on their work for that night.

Seniors Joe Belliel, Sam Anderson and Shain Showers, junior Katie Hartnett and sophomores Kory Young and Casey Watters are just some of the leaders of their school’s student cheering section, Ram Nation, one of five finalists for the MHSAA's "Battle of the Fans" competition. But representing three grades and various social groups, they also are the essence of what the section has accomplished since forming last summer.

Despite boasting one of the state’s largest high schools, Rockford has always taken pride in being something of a small-town community.

Still, there are nearly 2,600 students in grades 9-12. It’s just about impossible for everyone to know everybody else. And only a handful can play on the boys basketball team. But a hard-fought victory – like Friday’s one-point win over rival Hudsonville – allows the entire student body to take ownership while making a massive impact for the school’s sports teams.

“Obviously, (the players) could have done it. But we have a big impact keeping them going all the time and really pumping them up,” Rockford junior Katie Hartnett said after that 36-35 win. “I think they really appreciate it. We’re here to be here for them, not just to show off for ourselves.”

Only one trip, to Petoskey on Feb. 17, remains on the MHSAA Student Advisory Council "Battle of the Fans" tour. Videos of all five finalists are being posted on the MHSAA Facebook page for an online vote that will take place Feb. 20-23. After that vote and SAC discussion, the winner will be announced on Feb. 24. Clips from all five MHSAA-produced videos will be shown during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at the Breslin Center. 

Ram Nation began as a suggestion from a parent who noted the inconsistent crowd support from students over the last few years. Take Belliel as an example. Perhaps the most vocal of the group’s hierarchy, he admits he went to “maybe four basketball games” last season.

Now, everything is a must-see event. Anderson, a member of the student council, maintains a giant dry-erase calendar in the cafeteria that lists every school extracurricular event. At a recent hockey game, Ram Nation filled one side of the rink. On Nov. 19, the volleyball team played in the MHSAA Class A final at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Center, while the football team played in a Semifinal only a few blocks away. Ram Nation members ran back and forth to support both.

And students know they better show up early. Belliel got a call Friday from someone who already was in the stands at 4:30 p.m. – although the girls basketball game started at 6 and the boys at 7:45. Rockford High houses only grades 10-12, but freshmen and some middle schoolers also augmented the crowd.

“I didn’t think it would be as good as it is. I just thought we were going to start it and get it better,” Anderson said. “And all of a sudden it just hit, and it was pretty big.”

Indeed, Ram Nation made things happen quickly. 

A small group met a few times over the summer. A Facebook page was created. Watters researched online for any cheers he could find. Theme nights were planned, T-shirts made and sold as something of an unofficial “membership” to the section.

“I think we’ve always been somewhat of a close-knit community. But I think maybe instead of a divided student body – the freshmen, juniors, the sophomores – it’s pulled them together,” Rockford athletic director Tim Erickson said. “The more you have, the louder you’re going to be, and the more enthusiastic you’re going to be. (Ram Nation) has created more of an atmosphere like that.”

Another cool touch: Every home basketball game is a fundraiser. Friday’s was for "Hoops for Haiti." A few weeks ago, shirts were made with “I believe that we love Steve” printed on the backs. The spin-off of the popular “I believe that we will win” cheer was in support of former boys hoops coach Steve Majerle, who stepped down after the last season and is battling Parkinson’s Disease.

It’s another example of an unexpected benefit of Ram Nation’s creation.

Teams are definitely getting more support from classmates. But classmates feel they’ve come together for something bigger as well.

“It’s honestly ridiculous. You don’t realize how much of an impact the student section has on a game until you’re in and you’re playing,” said Showers, a football and baseball player. “I can remember there were times in the season when I’m trying to yell across the field at one of my teammates, and no one can hear anything. That was the first time I’d ever experienced that. And the year before, it wasn’t like that at all.

“(But) honestly, Ram Nation’s first goal isn’t to cheer our teams on and get our teams going. It’s about unity. Not just students and teachers, but the whole community, bringing everyone together. I think that’s what we’ve accomplished so far.”

PHOTOS by Rockford junior Aimee Reece (top) and  senior Jeremy Hoekstra (middle).

Cheer Finals & More LIVE on MHSAA.tv

March 3, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

It’s another big weekend of MHSAA Championship action on MHSAA.tv, with nearly 300 hours of live streaming video in Girls Competitive Cheer and Individual Wrestling, plus Student Broadcast Program-produced coverage of Basketball Districts.

Live streaming this week begins at 2 p.m. Thursday (March 5) from The Palace of Auburn Hills at the Individual Wrestling Finals. A dedicated camera will be on each of 12 mats on the floor, and include full graphics to indicate the participants in each match, plus full in-progress scoring information via Trackwrestling.

Here’s the complete wrestling coverage schedule:

  • Thursday – First Round – 2 p.m.

  • Friday – Rounds 2-3-4 – 8:30 a.m. - Round 2 at 8:30 a.m. is the first Consolation round. Round 3 at 10:30 a.m. is the second round in the Championship bracket. Round 4 at 1:30 p.m. is the second round in the Consolation bracket.

  • Friday – Semifinal Round – 7 p.m.

  • Saturday – Rounds 6-7-8 – 8:30 a.m. - Round 6 at 8:30 a.m. is the third Consolation round. Round 7 at 9:45 a.m. is the fourth Consolation Round. Round 8 at 11 a.m. is the final round in the Consolation bracket.

  • Saturday – Final Round & Awards Presentations – 4:45 p.m.

Girls Competitive Cheer coverage begins Friday (March 6) from The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids. Here’s the complete schedule:

  • Friday – Division 1 – 6 p.m. (Grand Blanc, Grandville, Hartland, Lake Orion, Livonia Stevenson, Rochester, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Sterling Heights Stevenson)

  • Saturday – Division 2 – 10 a.m. (Allen Park, Dearborn Divine Child, DeWitt, Gibraltar Carlson, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, Ortonville Brandon, St. Joseph)

  • Saturday - Division 4 – 2 p.m.  (Breckenridge, Hart, Houghton Lake, Hudson, Manistique, Michigan Center, Pewamo-Westphalia, Shelby)

  • Saturday - Division 3 – 6 p.m. (Armada, Comstock Park, Howard City Tri-County, Lake Odessa Lakewood, Onsted, Paw Paw, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Richmond)

The continued wrestling and full cheer coverage is part of six straight weekends of live MHSAA Championship coverage on MHSAA.tv, and online viewers can catch every weekend of action for one low cost of $14.95. 

A Month Pass on MHSAA.tv for $14.95 will give a viewer access to events over a 30-day period from the time it is purchased.  Over the next three weekends of live winter championship coverage, the following events will be featured: 

  • Ice Hockey Semifinals & Finals – March 12-14
  • Girls Gymnastics Finals – March 13-14
  • Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals – March 14
  • Girls Basketball Semifinals – March 19-20
  • Boys Basketball Semifinals – March 26-27 

A Day Pass is available for $9.95. All events will be available for free on-demand viewing by Wednesday the week following their initial live airing. 

Highlights from last weekend’s Team Wrestling Finals are now available at MHSAA.tv. Two highlight clips – one for each team from each match – are available from the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals – 56 highlights in all.  You can also view those clips from the Second Half pages of the MHSAA Website:

The School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

Here’s the schedule of School Broadcast Program members planning to cover varsity competition this week for broadcast on MHSAA.tv  (as of Feb. 23). The following events will have live streaming video unless otherwise indicated:

Monday, March 2
Girls Basketball District Semifinal – Wolverine v. Posen at Hillman, 6 p.m. (Video on Demand)
Girls Basketball District Semifinal – Hancock v. L’Anse at Calumet, 6 p.m. (VOD)
Girls Basketball District Semifinal – Onaway at Hillman, 7:30 p.m. (VOD)
Girls Basketball District Semifinal – Ironwood at Calumet, 7:30 p.m. (VOD)

Tuesday, March 3
Boys Basketball – Wolverine at Posen, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Houghton at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Midland Bullock Creek at Pinconning, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 4
Girls Basketball District Final at Hillman, 6 p.m. (VOD)
Girls Basketball District Final at Calumet, 7 p.m. (VOD)

Friday, March 6
Boys Basketball – Byron at Montrose, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 9
Boys Basketball District First Round – Wyoming Lee at Comstock Park, 7 p.m. (VOD)

Live stats of select basketball games are also available on MHSAA.tv. Check out the MHSAA.tv website on game night to see which schools are streaming live stats, or stop by to view stats following games on an On-Demand basis.  A Day Pass to view live stats is $1.95.

All sporting events – live or delayed - are available on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis for their first 72 hours online. A portion of each subscription is returned to schools originating the broadcast. Video subscriptions run $9.95 for a Day Pass and $14.95 for a Month Pass.  Some schools are also offering Annual Passes at a discounted rate. 

To view all of the recent School Broadcast Program productions, go to MHSAA.tv, click On-Demand on the nav bar of the left side of the page, and on the Filters tab at the top of next page, click on All States and then select Michigan.