5 Ways Boyne City’s Ramblers Get Rowdy
January 18, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BOYNE CITY – There’s a party going on in the student section at Boyne City, and everyone’s invited.
The streets were mostly empty as we rolled into town for Friday’s Battle of the Fans VI visit – freezing temperatures probably had something to do with that, even in the heartiest of ski country. But we found a full parking lot and plenty of bustle as fans poured in for the basketball doubleheader against Kalkaska – and the Rambler Rowdies “Fright Night,” our first stop on this year’s BOTF tour.
The breakdown: The section formerly known as “Bleacher Creatures” had a pretty good tradition of cheering on Boyne City teams over the years, but interest ramped up during the 2014-15 school year when both the football and boys basketball teams advanced to MHSAA Semifinals. Last winter, with the boys basketball team set to face rival East Jordan in a Class C District Final for the third season in a row, the Rambler Rowdies were born to take support to another level. After losing to East Jordan twice during the regular season, Boyne City won 62-33 – and the section’s name, along with its newfound passion, stuck.
On this trip, we met with seniors Tristan Stackus, Emma Vondra and Camella Zipp, and juniors Jake Kelts and Ethan Hewitt. Check out the video, followed by more of what we saw from the Rowdies.
1. They’ve gotten everyone on board
The Rowdies claim to be a true cross-section of the school and its nearly 400 students. In a building that size, students often take part in a wide range of activities, and all are represented. In addition to athletes from other sports, the band is a regular and lined the top rows of bleachers on Friday. And while Stackus, Vondra, Kelts and Hewitt all play at least one sport – Hewitt actually plays on the basketball team – Zipp spends her time in the arts, but is just as "rowdy." The togetherness is personified when the student section enters games as one, instead of trickling into gym as individuals show up. “We’re including more people in it. Our band’s getting more involved. We have kids coming from drama that will get involved because they really like acting everything out. … (and) I feel like especially when we enter as one, it makes us more united,” Zipp said. “We’re all the same. I don’t think of myself as a drama person, or even as the basketball jock.” The section this season began choosing themes for the first time, and all have a voice; Stackus, who administers the @Rambler_Rowdy Twitter feed, gets ideas from classmates on Mondays, posts a Twitter poll so all may vote and then announces via Twitter the winner.
The theme for Tuesday's game against Charlevoix will be red and blue! Wear your Rambler gear and be ready to be rowdy! #boynetough
— Rambler Rowdy (@Rambler_Rowdy) January 16, 2017
And here’s a spin on seniority we hadn’t heard before: The Rowdies don’t do the “seniors in front and everyone else in back thing,” which in itself isn’t that rare among our annual BOTF finalists. But the Rowdies differ in that they put freshmen near the front so they can’t hide and not cheer, filling behind them with upperclassmen to make for a stronger section front to back. In fact, Kelts led the section two years ago as a freshman – which does qualify as a rarity and no doubt has helped develop this attitude toward mixing up the classes.
2. They’re teaching marketers a thing or two
The Rowdies are selling the Boyne City brand in the hallways, and clearly it’s taken hold. The business plan started in the high school’s marketing class, taught by Tony Cutler, who has served as the architect helping student leaders get the section rolling. The buy-in has been wide-ranging, with plenty of helpers chipping in – keep an eye out in the video for all of the Rambler Rowdy/MHSAA co-branded banners advertising “Friday Night,” plus the other staging created for the event like the cemetery fence and the “R.I.P. Bad Sportsmanship” gravestones put together by additional students who put in outside time to be a part. The message also is taking root in the community – with Cutler’s help, section leaders have made connections that have resulted in local donations of everything from cowbells to head bands to spirit towels.
Don't forget about Friday!! #boynetough pic.twitter.com/AahonXW30D
— Rambler Rowdy (@Rambler_Rowdy) January 12, 2017
3. They own the airwaves
This goes with the marketing and branding discussion above, but carries enough clout to have its own point here. The Rowdies make full use of an in-school television station – the Rambler Sports Network – that rivals any in our state, regardless of size of school, with production done by students in the Visual Imaging class (known in the halls as BCVI). TVs all over campus showed eye-catching promos for Friday’s BOTF visit and gave it extra oomph. Students filmed and produced Friday’s game, and their work is now included on broadcasts by local MI News 26.
4. They’re doing it right
Kelts was quick to note the school has won 10 sportsmanship awards over the years, and doing the right thing in the stands is not just talk. In fact, we didn’t hear a negative word coming from the Rowdies the entire night. They focused on cheering their team and having fun. It was that simple, but from our point of view the 100-percent positivity certainly was noticeable.
5. They’re filling the night with fun
The Rowdies packed a lot into “Fright Night” starting with all of the themed decorations and Kelts’ take on Jason Voorhees (from the “Friday the 13th” movies) leading a section full of classmates in black from head to toe. They entered the “Wheelhouse” – their gym – together in something out of a horror movie, sprinting in from multiple directions in advance of Kelts and his chain saw (only a toy, of course). We’ve heard most chants over five years and 25 BOTF visits, but the Rowdies had a few we hadn’t heard before. And the halftime surfing by Kelts – propelled by classmates on the floor on a surfboard covered in what had to be a case of duct tape – traveled half the court and was a highlight of the night.
In their words
Focus on the game: “We didn’t really even think about Battle of the Fans,” Stackus said. “It started out as us for (the team), and now it’s come to where we’re still doing it for them but we need to get bigger. We need more people to make us better, but we’re still doing it for them.”
Players love it: “That Grayling game (a 49-44 win Dec. 13), we were down, and I hit a 3 to go ahead and the student section just erupted,” Hewitt said. “After that, not only are you playing for yourself, but you’re playing for everyone else. … The environment in the gym is totally different.”
An Up North thing: “We’re all small towns and we’re all really close together, and we are rivals with a lot of these close towns,” Vondra said. “But since we’re so small, everybody knows about everything that’s going on. So whenever you get news about something that’s happening in the school or the community, everybody automatically knows, and then they’re just that much more into it.”
Next stop on BOTF: Next up is reigning champion Traverse City West for its boys basketball game Friday, followed by visits to Charlotte (Jan. 28), Petoskey (Feb. 1) and Frankenmuth (Feb. 3).
The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Junior Jake Kelts, in red, leads the student section's roller coaster Friday. (Middle) Fans, some in Jason Voorhees-inspired hockey masks, chant during the win over Kalkaska. (Photos by Boyne City Visual Imaging.)
Scholars & Athletes 2021: Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 16, 2021
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected eight 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 32nd 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 during an online ceremony later this winter. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Haleigh Knowles, Sault Ste. Marie; Andrea Kowalski, Chelsea; Elena Schwegman, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Illyanna Marie Taylor, Three Rivers; Wilson Bragg, Gladwin; Hudson Alexander Harkness, Newaygo; Dhilan Nagaraju, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; and Ryan Tang, Detroit Country Day.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
(NOTE: If an athlete intended to play and was part of a spring sports team in 2020, that sport is counted among the athlete’s total although the season was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Haleigh Knowles, Sault Ste. Marie
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, is playing her second season of varsity basketball and will participate in fourth season of varsity track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in cross country all four seasons, and earned all-state in track as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-league recognition in basketball. Served as varsity cross country captain, and basketball captain for subvarsity teams. Carries 4.06 GPA and is participating in fourth years of National Honor Society, student government, Business Professionals of America and Students United volunteer group and second year in LINKS program. Served as state and national delegate for BPA, and currently as chapter vice president and historian. Serving as social media coordinator and historian for student government and group leader for Students United, both for second years. Earned gold-level President’s Volunteer Service Award three times and Hospice of the EUP’s Service and Membership Award. Will attend Michigan State University and study pre-law.
Essay Quote: “As the years have gone on, I opened my eyes to the game around me. When the whole gym is packed and coaches, fans, and players are all screaming at one another, sportsmanship is playing with class.”
Andrea Kowalski, Chelsea
Playing second year of varsity basketball and will play her fourth of varsity soccer this spring; also ran varsity cross country as a freshman and sophomore. Earned all-league and all-region in soccer. Helped varsity basketball team to league title in 2020 and cross country team to Regional title in 2017. Serving as basketball captain and will serve as soccer captain for second season. Carries 4.425 GPA and earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition. Participating in fourth year of student council and second as cabinet operations chair. Earned positions of flute section leader for marching band and first chair for band/wind symphony, and earned Division 1 rating at all judged musical performances. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and civic engagement club, the latter as a founding member. Will attend University of Michigan and study engineering.
Essay Quote: “Our opponents in educational athletics, club sports, or pickup games are just other people who want to compete. Whether a friend or foe, displaying empathy, respect, and integrity in all contests is what makes the community of athletes a special place for everyone. My adolescent eyes struggled to see it, but sportsmanship makes educational athletics bigger than each player and bigger than the pitch. It equates us all as human beings.”
Elena Schwegman, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Played two seasons of varsity basketball, one of varsity volleyball and will play her fourth of varsity softball this spring. Will serve as captain for second season in softball and helped volleyball team to 2017 Class B championship and basketball team to multiple District titles. Earned all-region in softball and academic all-state in softball and basketball. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and three times achieved either silver medal or honorable mention on National Spanish Exam. Participating in fourth year of student council and has served as vice president. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Co-founded school’s be nice. mental health awareness group and served as activities committee chair. Participating in third year of tutoring and started free service during COVID-19 pandemic. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to major in business and economics and minor in computer science.
Essay Quote: “Sports are an opportunity to bring out the best in all of us, and poor sportsmanship demeans high school sports and discourages participation. … There will always be wins and losses, but there will also always be teaching moments and more importantly, defining moments – opportunities to do the right thing, to claim a deserved victory, and to do so with character and humility.”
Illyanna Marie Taylor, Three Rivers
Playing second season of varsity basketball, played three of varsity golf and will play fourth of varsity soccer and compete in fourth of varsity track & field this spring; also played junior varsity volleyball as a freshman. Earned all-league recognition in golf and academic all-state in golf and soccer, and was part of multiple academic all-state golf teams. Helped basketball team to District title in 2020 and has served as captain of basketball and soccer teams. Participating in fourth year of student council and has served as council president and vice president, and class president. Participating in third years of DECA and National Honor Society and served as chapter president of both. Participating in fourth years of marching and symphony bands and earned multiple Division 1 ratings; also sang three years in choir earning a Division 1 award and twice serving as section leader. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to pursue pre-medical studies.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is not just fair play; it encompasses an array of values: Respect. Kindness. Honesty. … Good sportsmanship presents kindness to be a uniform we should wear every day. Helping others and being empathetic is never out of season. We must work together in the pursuit of a collective victory.”
Wilson Bragg, Gladwin
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, played three of varsity soccer, is playing his third season of varsity basketball and will run his fourth of varsity track & field this spring. Earned all-region in soccer and all-league recognition in cross country, basketball and track. Served as captain of cross country and basketball teams. Participating in fourth years of student council and executive council and served three years as class president and two as executive council treasurer. Participating in fourth year of key club and served as treasurer for three. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, carries 4.0 GPA and is earning 18 college credits as part of dual enrollment at Mid Michigan College. Served more than 300 hours as mentor or volunteer for various efforts and earned local Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Award. Participating in fourth year of business club and was treasurer for three. Is undecided where he will attend college, but will study business.
Essay Quote: “I am proud that my positive reputation is recognized by my community, but more importantly, I am pleased to have conducted myself in a manner which has made my community and teammates proud, by modeling sportsmanship, both publicly and privately. Embracing sportsmanship in educational athletics, and in life, builds and reveals character.”
Hudson Alexander Harkness, Newaygo
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing varsity basketball this winter and will play his third season of varsity baseball this spring. Served as captain of varsity football and baseball and junior varsity football and basketball teams, and made all-league for football. Serving as class president for fourth year. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has earned college credit in leadership from George Mason University. Serving as yearbook editor for third year and selected as National Youth Correspondent for Washington Journalism & Media Conference at George Mason, and has had articles and news segments published by local media. Volunteered throughout high school as West Michigan Miracle League announcer and earned school’s Community Service Award. Participating in second year of College Ambassador program and served as assistant community service director. Will attend Northwood University and study sports management.
Essay Quote: “With parents, students, and athletes yelling at officials throughout the entire game, it is sad to see the lack of sportsmanship in today's games. Sportsmanship isn’t just about being respectful to the other team but respecting officials too. … When I see or hear other people yelling at an official I think to myself “how stupid.” These men and women give up times to make sure we can play and learn to love the game. Without them, we would have no games.”
Dhilan Nagaraju, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played three seasons of varsity tennis and is playing his second of varsity basketball. Earned all-state and all-academic honors in tennis and was part of school’s 2018 and 2020 Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship teams. Served as varsity tennis and junior varsity basketball captain. Participating in fourth year of Horizon Upward Bound and has served as president, fourth year of Business/Entrepreneurship Club, and third year of Bridge the Divide group and as a student leader. Participated in LEAD Summer Business Institute and Cornell University Real Estate Exchange. Engaged in chemistry and biology research with faculty and undergraduate students at Oakland University. Founded community service organization to provide personal protective equipment. Earned various awards including at state competition for piano, and participated in three years of debate and earned speakers award. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study business and economics.
Essay Quote: “The contrast I observed among these students and the handful of unsportsmanlike athletes I had competed against at other schools was clear – it was integrity. While these HUB students were naturally driven, proven by their excellent academics and discipline in the classroom, it was the small actions that made the difference. Through their honest line calls on the tennis court to helping opponents up in the gym, I have recognized the important role that integrity plays in athletics.”
Ryan Tang, Detroit Country Day
Played four seasons of varsity soccer and helped his team to the Division 2 championship in 2018 and multiple Regional and District titles. Earned all-state multiple seasons and served as team captain as a senior. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction and named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Received Association of Chinese Americans O.S. Chan scholarship for excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation. Co-founded and served as co-president of Help on the Way charitable fundraising organization, and also co-founded and served as vice president of school’s Finance/Entrepreneurship Club. Created prototype college counseling app as part of finance club and advanced to creative problem solving state finals as part of HOSA Future Health Professionals team. Is undecided where he will attend college but intends to study business management and computer science.
Essay Quote: “The principles of being a good sport extend far beyond just athletics; they become ingrained in our character and allow us to tackle issues with maturity in the future. Through athletics, I have learned to treat others with respect and carry myself with dignity, which are values that I apply to all aspects of my life. … It's imperative that student athletes strive to be respectful and mature on and off the field, keeping their emotions in check, as maintaining dignity and integrity will serve us well on and off the field.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Katie Acker, Lake Odessa Lakewood; Katie DeVlaminck, Buchanan; Jordyn Disbrow, Kalkaska; London Eldridge, Central Montcalm; Anna Gerardy, Yale; Allison R. Hall, Montague; Rachel Joslyn, Saginaw Swan Valley; Kendall Mathis, Newaygo; Katelyn Moore, Grayling; Caitlin Mullen, Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Riley Schroeder, Clare; and Bailey Taylor, Clare.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Ryan Atkinson, Dundee; Cole Bennett, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Ian Burke, Ortonville Brandon; Drew Collins, Montague; Dillon Dennison, Alma; Nickolai J. Emde, Plainwell; Stuart Hamilton, Lansing Catholic; Brock Holek, Durand; Jackson Hoover, Edwardsburg; Zachary Huitema, Tawas; Jack Parker, Spring Lake; and Cade M. Vota, Niles.
The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 9, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 23.
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