Battle of the Fans III: Vote Now
February 18, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We visited, we watched, we enjoyed and now we've returned from our five trips to this season's MHSAA Battle of the Fans III finalists.
And now it's your turn to vote for your favorite in this season's search for Michigan's top high school cheering section.
Vote today through Thursday on your favorite of these five (enrollments in parentheses) – Beaverton (427), Bridgman (320), Buchanan (465), Frankfort (152) and Traverse City West (1,653) – by liking, sharing and re-tweeting on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites.
But before you do, take a few minutes to watch all five videos and read all five stories behind the section by clicking the links below.
The contest is sponsored by the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, which will have the final vote on the champion. SAC members will use all resources available to make their decision(s) – including giving significant weight to the public social media vote. Votes will be valued proportionate to the size of the school receiving them (for example, one vote for Class D Frankfort will mean more than one vote for much larger Class A Traverse City West).
The champion will be announced Friday on Second Half. Video of all five finalists will be compiled and shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center. The winner will be invited to Breslin for the Class C Boys Basketball Semifinals and presented a championship banner at center court.
And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Beaverton
Read all about it: "Beaverton 'Creatures' Dominate Bleachers"
Bridgman
Read all about it: "Bridgman's 'Orange Crush' Rules the Hive"
Buchanan
Read all about it: "Herd Dat? Buchanan Back for BOTF III"
Frankfort
Read all about it: "Change Does Frankfort's 'Cage' Good"
Traverse City West
Read all about it: "TC West 'Creatures' Of Cheer Habit"
Battle of the Fans III is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
SAC Sound-off: Meet Kevin Beazley
April 4, 2012
Detroit Catholic Central senior Kevin Beazley is one of Michigan's top wrestlers and finished his high school career in the best way possible -- with a win. After finishing runner-up at 171 pounds at last season's MHSAA Division 1 Finals, Beazley won the 189-pound title last month at The Palace of Auburn Hills. He also helped the Shamrocks to the Division 1 team championship the weekend before.
Kevin Beazley, Detroit Catholic Central senior
- Sport: Wrestling
- Non-sports activities: Brothers Club, Monogram Club, Student Council
- Favorite class: English
- Must-see TV: "The Big Bang Theory"
- One shining moment: Beating (Lowell's) Gabe Dean, the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the country. (NOTE: This was submitted before Beazley's championship run.)
- What’s next: I'm going to Old Dominion University next year to wrestle, and I will be studying biology, hopefully on the path to becoming a med student at the Eastern Virginia Medical School.
- My favorite part of game day is: ... the mental preparation I go through. Getting in the zone in a corner of the gym, listening to my iPod. Focusing and visualizing are so much fun for me.
PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central senior Kevin Beazley (right) wrestles in the Division 1 189-pound Final against Temperance Bedford's Brandon Sunday last month. (Photo courtesy of High School Sports Scene).