#BOTF V: Make Way for a New Champion
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The second-largest and arguably strongest pool of applicants in Battle of the Fans history made it especially hard for members of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council to pick only five finalists for this year’s competition.
The result? A mix of past contenders and rising candidates that together guarantee there will be a first-time winner for the fifth time in the contest’s five-year history.
Yale, a finalist in 2015, again is in the running and joined by Charlotte, Munising, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and 2014 finalist Traverse City West. This year’s pool of 22 applicants was the second-largest in Battle of the Fans history and largest since 2013.
Battle of the Fans V, organized by MHSAA staff and its 16-member Student Advisory Council, will reward the cheering section that best creates the positive and festive atmosphere made possible when students show enthusiasm, togetherness and sportsmanship while rooting for their team. MHSAA staff and Student Advisory Council members will visit all five finalists for home boys basketball games during the second half of this regular season, with coverage and video from those visits and the announcement of the winner all to be published on Second Half.
Schools were invited in December to submit short videos, via YouTube, of their cheering sections in action. The winner will be announced Feb. 19, and video of all five sections will be played on the Breslin Center HD scoreboard during the Finals in March. The champion and finalists also will be recognized during the Boys Semifinals on March 25.
This year’s finalists include at least one school from each MHSAA Class – A, B, C and D – and 16 of 22 finalists received at least one top-five vote from a member of the Student Advisory Council.
“This was not only one of the largest, but top-to-bottom it's one of the strongest fields of applicants we’ve had during the five years of Battle of the Fans,” said Andy Frushour, MHSAA director of brand management and advisor to the Student Advisory Council. “It shows this program is growing. Schools know about it and look forward to taking part. And most importantly, the message is continuing to spread that students can have a blast rooting on their classmates in a positive way.”
Video submissions included explanations on how each section met the following contest criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, student section leadership and overall fun.
Click the links below to see the videos submitted by the finalists:
Charlotte - Munising - Muskegon Western Michigan Christian - Traverse City West - Yale
The winner will be selected by another Advisory Council vote based in part on activity on the MHSAA’s social media sites. All social media postings regarding Battle of the Fans V should include the hashtag #BOTF. The MHSAA will post throughout the finalists tour on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites and Snapchat feed.
Finalists will be visited for the following home basketball games:
Jan. 15: Armada at Yale
Jan. 23: Spring Lake at Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
Feb. 4: Traverse City Central at Traverse City West
Feb. 5: Eben Junction Superior Central at Munising
Feb. 12: Parma Western at Charlotte
Big Rapids, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Dowagiac, Tawas and Wayland, listed here in alphabetical order, rounded out the top 10 in the vote to select the finalists. Dowagiac was last year's champion, following Frankenmuth in 2012, Buchanan in 2013 and Beaverton in 2014.
This year’s applicants brought the total number of schools that have entered the contest at least once to 75, with Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard – a finalist in 2013 – the only school to apply all five years. Traverse City West has applied three times, Munising and Yale twice, and Charlotte and Western Michigan Christian were first-time entrants this year. There were 15 first-time applicants total, also including Big Rapids, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Fulton-Middleton, Holland, Imlay City, Manton, Norway, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Tawas, Utica Ford, Walled Lake Western, Wayland and Wyoming Godwin Heights. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary applied for the second time.
Click to view all applications on YouTube.
The contest is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, which promotes Michigan's locally-produced dairy products and nutrition education.
Rules plus links to last year’s coverage of the contest can be found on the BOTF page of the MHSAA site.
The Student Advisory Council is made up of eight seniors and eight juniors who each serve two-year terms. The Council acts as the voice of Michigan's student-athletes; it serves as a student sounding board for the MHSAA's Representative Council, assists in planning Sportsmanship Summits, Captains Clinics and other student leadership events; participates in a yearly focus group about the state of high schools sports for Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and assists with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events.
PHOTOS: MHSAA Battle of the Fans finalists cheer on their teams, clockwise from top left: Buchanan, Dowagiac, Yale, St. Johns and Beaverton.
Century of School Sports: Top Performers Tell Us What High School Sports Mean to Them
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 17, 2025
As we move into the final installments of our MHSAA 100th-anniversary "Century of School Sports" celebration, we present a project we've been working on this entire school year -- an opportunity for some of the state's highest achievers from 2025-26 to explain how school sports have played an important role in their lives.
Following is a collection of answers from athletes we recognized with our "Performance of the Week" over the last 11 months, as we asked all of them: "What has participating in high school sports meant to you?"
@mhsaasports What do high school sports mean to you? Student-athletes like you share their take on high school sports. Stay tuned as we share our #HighSchoolSportsMeanToMe series starting in July🔥🚨📢 #MHSAA ♬ Inspirational - neozilla
Be sure to check out the MHSAA's TikTok channel starting on July 8 to see more answers to the question "What does high school sports mean to you?" Search the hashtag #HighSchoolSportsMeantoMe.
Video transcription:
Asher Clark – Bay City John Glenn: [00:00:00] Every time I step on the field, I get to wear the name of my high school on my jersey, which is an honor.
Aubrey Hillard - Rochester: [00:00:05] It's basically shaped me into the person I am today. It's brought me closer to some of my favorite people, like with my team and my coaches.
Chloe Qin – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: [00:00:11] It like helps you figure out how to manage your time better and how to, like, cooperate on a team and how to, like, push yourself past your limits.
Izzy Horvath – Bangor: [00:00:23] It's also a stress reliever for me, playing with my friends.
Kate Simon – East Grand Rapids: [00:00:26] I love competing and pushing myself, and they've taught me how to set goals and stay focused and work hard.
Katie Spicer – Fowler: [00:00:32] To me, high school sports are kind of like an escape from reality, and they brought me friendships that I'll have forever and memories that I'll hold on for my whole life.
Alex Graham – Detroit Cass Tech: [00:00:40] You build real good, strong relationships with the coaches, and even after football they'll be there for you and everything.
Asher Clark – Bay City John Glenn: [00:00:46] It's very unique in that you're playing with kids who are older than you that you can learn from, and kids that are younger than you, who you can pass on your knowledge to.
Brock Morris – Southfield Christian: [00:00:54] Being an athlete has taught me discipline, mental toughness, and it's taught me how to push past my limits. I've learned how to lose. I've learned how to win. I've learned how to lead my team through all of that and support my teammates through all of that.
Hunter Lemmon - Fraser: [00:01:06] There's a lot of people that like, I don't know if I ever would have talked to them, and they're like my best friends to this day.
Maggie Buurma - Fowlerville: [00:01:12] The team atmosphere that you get out of high school sports is not really comparable to anything else I've ever experienced. Whether I won or I lost, they were there for me the next day. They didn't base my worth off of my wins and losses.
McRecco McFadden III – Burton Bentley: [00:01:26] It's definitely a learning experience to watch yourself grow. Throughout this whole experience, it made me who I am, if I'm being honest.
Olivia Flynn – Harbor Springs: [00:01:32] Being on a team has had a huge impact on my confidence. It's bringing and embracing the leadership roles on and off the court. And then, just like I said, playing with girls from all different backgrounds, just being together to accomplish one goal, it's so fun and I love it.
Wyatt Spalo – Reed City: [00:01:47] It's become my home away from home in a sense. High school sports has definitely been like a key factor in not only who I've become today, but like, also how I've grown.
Victoria Garces – Midland Dow: [00:01:57] Every school day, no matter if it's good or bad, you always have your practice after school. And it's just such a fun way to see all your friends and then also get to focus on something that you love.
Shaelyn Perry – South Lyon United: [00:02:08] And all those lessons are so applicable in other areas of my life, and they've enabled me to be successful in other areas of my life, and it opens up so many other doors and other relationships that without it, I wouldn't have.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
June 10: 'The Mitten' Becomes Sought-After Symbol of MHSAA Greatness - Read
June 3: MHSAA's Move to TV, Now Internet, 60 Years Old & Growing - Read
May 27: Upper Peninsula Helps Make Michigan's School Sports Story Unique - Read
May 20: From Nearly A to Z, Schools Repped by 221 Nicknames - Read
May 13: These Record-Setters were Nearly Impossible to Defeat - Read
May 6: 200+ Representatives Fill All-Time Council Roster - Read
April 29: MHSAA Programs Prioritize Health & Safety - Read
April 23: Patches Signify Registered Officials' Role in MHSAA Story - Read
April 16: Student Advisory Council Gives Voice to Athletes - Read
April 9: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories - Read
April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25: Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18: 2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11: Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5: Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25: Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19: MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read