5 Ways the Blue Crew Has Us 'Believin'
February 3, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
PETOSKEY – What once was one of the most raucous gyms in the northern Lower Peninsula had grown hushed as one of Michigan’s proudest student sections slowly fell away.
Hopefully Petoskey’s opponents didn’t get used to the silence.
The Blue Crew, a finalist for the inaugural Battle of the Fans in 2012, is back after all but disappearing the last few years – and hosted the latest BOTF tour stop Wednesday for its boys basketball game against Sault Ste. Marie.
The breakdown: The Blue Crew is rooted in generations of support going back to the school’s old Central Gymnasium, an arena straight out of “Hoosiers” where 1,500 fans for years packed to the rafters in support of their teams. A new school and a new gym became home to the Northmen in 2002, and that move served as the catalyst for creation of the “Blue Crew” by the school’s student council. The section thrived for more than a decade, but over the last few years for a few reasons discussed below, dwindled. But it’s been rebuilt – leaders have even pulled out of retirement advisor Karen Starkey, wife of longtime boys hoops coach Dennis and a former counselor at the school – and that well-known energy has returned to fuel the next generation of Petoskey athletes.
We met with seniors Ashlyn Kartes, Stuart Green and Emme Williams and juniors Danny Kolp, Isabella Rowe and Jake Lee during a night dedicated to raising cancer awareness. See below for our video and five reasons the Blue Crew is rising again.
1. What’s old is new again.
When we visited with the Blue Crew in 2012 during the first Battle of the Fans finalists tour, we learned about a student section steeped in history. But over the last few years, the section more or less disappeared. As this year’s leaders tell it, the Crew was completely broken-down last winter, with a lack of leadership and a mood that discouraged participation because seniors did what they wanted and expected everyone else to fill in behind them. Football games this fall were similarly tepid. But everything changed after most of the section’s new leadership attended an MHSAA Sportsmanship Summit on Nov. 9 in Traverse City, where they loaded up on energy and ideas. On the car ride home, they created a new Blue Crew Twitter page and had a number of followers before they even arrived back at their school. The revival was on. Volleyball games started taking off, and hockey and basketball have been big draws this winter. Petoskey girls and boys basketball teams at all three levels had games across three gyms Wednesday – the main gym, auxiliary and the gym at the old school – but it was obvious students were trickling into the section after their games. Nearly 200 showed for a midweek game, even as the junior varsity girls were playing at the same time as the varsity boys. It's a lesson for hundreds of schools across our state: you too can grow a student section, and all it takes is a group of motivated leaders to get it started.
2. They’re one big family.
Whereas by the end of last year seniors ruled and few others cared to be a part, the attitude in the Blue Crew is much more inclusive this winter. Leaders during our trip emphasized multiple times how much they adore their underclassmen, who might make up a majority of the section – there are likely more freshmen than seniors most nights. It’s changed the mood in the school’s hallways as well. Meanwhile, those younger students are showing excitement about continuing to grow the section in the future, while this year’s seniors are excited they’ve been able to restart a legacy and leave something behind. Gone are rules about seniors in front – an informal group of guys who attend most games take some of those spots because they lead cheers, but whoever shows up first gets the best seats. “We kinda went back and forth on this because we have seniors in our Blue Crew and in our leadership, and of course you’ve waited the four years (to be up front). The people before us were really into the seniors in the front row, so we were raised with that. But once we sat back on it, the people that get there early are the ones who are going to cheer the loudest, and they want to be there. The underclassmen who get there an hour early before game time are the ones who are going to cheer the loudest, and that’s what we want.”
3. They’re in the game.
The Blue Crew is a student section in the most traditional sense. While there were a few bells and whistles during our trip – the rollercoaster, a traditional “Don’t Stop Believing” performance arm-in-arm – this is a section that is most focused (and rightly so) on the game being played. The chants started from the first basket (see moment in video with streamers thrown into the air) and didn’t stop until the game’s end. Cheers may have started up front, but the section as a whole was engaged – which made the Crew stick out for more than just the pink shirts they were wearing.
4. This section doesn’t just cheer for the boys.
Again, there were games at all three levels going on all over Petoskey on Wednesday. But 40 students filled the Crew at the start of the 5:30 p.m. girls varsity game, and that continued to grow steadily as the other games were completed and players and fans moved on to the main events of the night. This is all by design; as the leaders went about rebuilding the section, they came up with 20 theme nights so they had one for every home varsity game for both the boys and girls. They also made sure to spread what were expected to be the most popular to both boys and girls games to guarantee maximum support for both teams. What’s more, the varsity players cheer for each other. Kolp and Lee start on the boys team – Kolp, in fact, is considered one of the top players in the northern Lower Peninsula – and they are sure-thing regulars at the girls games, Lee often dressed as Gandalf from “Lord of the Rings” and the 6-foot-9 Kolp as the section’s tallest cheerleader rooting on his sister Megan and her teammates.
5. They’ve mixed the old and the new
As noted, the ode to the band Journey has survived the rise, fall and rise again of the Blue Crew, and the section lives in the same far corner of the gym and continues to receive the wise counsel of Starkey. But the new has been important too. Just about every student section has theme nights, but Petoskey’s leaders worked hard to do something just a little different to make each unique – Frat/Sorority Night included giant Greek letters for “PHS” and Wacky/Tacky Tuesday was a new spin on bad fashion. They’re also taking advantage of social media, using Twitter to connect with classmates across a school with nearly 1,000 students – for example, a freshman DM’d to suggest a toga night idea that made the final list, and a Twitter poll was used to pick from four possible slogans for Wednesday’s pink shirts. The school also brought back a cheerleading team this fall after 12 years without one, and the Blue Crew hopes to work with that team as support continues to build.
What a turn out!!!???? pic.twitter.com/KdZyHLWt0n
— PetoskeyBlueCrew (@PetoskeyBluCrew) February 2, 2017
In their words
New and improved: “The atmosphere is totally different (from last year),” Green said. “People didn’t really want to cheer. Maybe they wanted to but they felt like it was out of their element – where now, there’s an atmosphere that you show up, you cheer as ridiculous as you want, and it’s accepted.”
We watched; we joined: “A lot of other student sections in our conference are good. We’ve been surrounded by that. So after going to the (Sportsmanship Summit), we knew we could do that,” Kartes said. Recalling watching last season’s BOTF champion Traverse City West at a 2016 District Final, Williams added: “Just seeing that, we all just realized playing in front of our Blue Crew is not easy. And that’s what our goal is.”
All are welcome: “(Wednesday) we went around to the lunchrooms and passed around candy, and we were like, ‘Hey, come to the game. Bring your friends,'" Williams said. “Once everyone is in the student section, even if you don’t know the person, it’s like you’ve known them for so long. It’s like one big family there, and I think that’s what makes us so special.”
Next stop on BOTF: We'll finish the 2017 BOTF tour at Frankenmuth for tonight's boys basketball game against Millington. Click for coverage of our visits to Boyne City on Jan. 13, Traverse City West on Jan. 20 and Charlotte on Jan. 28.
The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Petoskey's Blue Crew roots on its boys basketball team Wednesday against Sault Ste. Marie. (Middle) Blue Crew members huddle in the middle of the section, creating a sea of pink streamers. (Photos by Larry Tracy/ CMA Action Photography.)
Scholars and Athletes 2014: Class C, D
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 4, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 10 student-athletes from Class C and D member schools to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 25th 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 which can come from any classification.
Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 22 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Melissa Dowell, Clinton; Erin McDonnell, Traverse City St. Francis; Kirsten Olling, Breckenridge; Stephen T. Erwin, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic; Devin Morrow, Three Oaks River Valley; and Ty Michael Rollin, Beal City.
The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award recipients are: MacKenzie Ciganick, Bellaire; Sara Inbody, Deckerville; Grant Hohlbein, Adrian Lenawee Christian; and Steven McKenzie, Marcellus.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class C Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Melissa Dowell, Clinton
Played volleyball, basketball and softball during her high school career and expects to finish with four varsity letters in softball. Contributed to softball teams that won two MHSAA Finals, three District and three Tri-County Conference championships, and played on a District champion in volleyball. Named Most Improved Player in softball as a sophomore and the same for volleyball as a junior; also named volleyball team captain this fall. Served in student government three years including as student body treasurer and secretary this year. Also serves as secretary of her National Honor Society chapter and editor of the yearbook, and is ranked academically among the top 10 in her class. Volunteered multiple times for the Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive and earned CPR certification. Will attend Siena Heights University and study nursing.
Essay Quote: “Playing on a state championship softball team has been an incredible experience. More amazing, however, has been the journey and the lessons learned along the way. I learned that good sportsmanship is like a sacrifice bunt. When I’m given the sign, I step up to the plate and execute without question. I don’t expect a display of fireworks or a grand headline in a newspaper.”
Erin McDonnell, Traverse City St. Francis
Participated in cross country, basketball and track and field and anticipates graduating with eight varsity letters. Ran on MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 champion 1,600-meter relay in 2012 when St. Francis finished team runner-up and was a contributor when the Gladiators won the team championship in 2013. Served as a captain on her cross country and track and field teams in 2013 and her junior varsity basketball team. Earned individual academic all-state honors in cross country three times and a variety of other team, league and region awards for athletic and academic performance. Participated in her school’s Key Club all four years of high school, its National Honor Society chapter as a junior and senior and as student body treasurer this school year. Undecided on where she will attend college but plans to study biology.
Essay Quote: “Compassion from a sportsmanship standpoint is simply respect. Through good sportsmanship, we develop and show compassion by actions such as lending a hand to another teammate (who) has fallen down or congratulating a team after a hard-fought win. ... By having compassion in sportsmanship, we show a love and respect for others leading to nothing but appreciation and respect in return. “
Kirsten Olling, Breckenridge
Became the seventh in MHSAA girls cross country history to win four Finals championships and set the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals record with a time of 17:44.9. Also won the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 3,200-meter run championship the last three seasons and the 1,600 as a freshman. Served as captain of her cross country team the last three seasons and her track and field team. Named academic all-state in cross country three seasons. Served as her class’ vice president and the yearbook sports editor and won multiple leadership awards as part of the Future Farmers of America. Served as an assistant coach for her local Girls on the Run program. Will attend Arizona State University and study biology with a minor in kinesiology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is more than just playing fair. True sportsmanship is knowing that your opponent has the same goals, helping others reach those goals and working hard every day. ... I get excited when I hear I get to race against the best. Sportsmanship is not about being happy even if you lose, but it is about helping your competition be their best.”
Stephen T. Erwin, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic
Participated in three years of varsity football, two of varsity ice hockey and expects to play his fourth season of varsity baseball this spring; also played two seasons of junior varsity basketball. Earned all-state honorable mention as a hockey goaltender and all-league baseball honors the last two seasons. Served as captain of his junior varsity basketball team and has been named captain of the baseball team for this spring. Served as student council class treasurer all four years of high school and has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years. Named Homecoming King this fall and earned Shrine Knight Award as the Most Outstanding Freshman Student. Serves as leader of the Shrine Service Club and has participated for four years as a coach and counselor in the Angel’s Place summer baseball program. Will attend Saint Louis University in Missouri and study either sports business or aviation.
Essay Quote: “A display of sportsmanship is important in educational athletics because it acknowledges the respect of other athletes and their roles. Simple handshakes after the game or some action on a bigger level are ways to show sportsmanship. ... Sportsmanship, in my mind, is not only respect but also caring for another athlete who has similar goals.”
Devin Morrow, Three Oaks River Valley
Participated in varsity cross country, basketball, golf and track and field and anticipates graduating with 10 varsity letters including four in golf. Served as his golf team’s captain three seasons and also as a basketball and cross country co-captain. Has participated in student government, National Honor Society and Business Professionals of America all for three years, and Students Against Destructive Decisions and his school’s band and drama club for four years. Served as his class’ president the last three years and also as president of his SADD and NHS chapters. Received Best Drum Major award at the Hastings Marching Invitational. Volunteered for three years as part of a Michigan Department of Transportation Highway Cleanup community service project. Will attend the University of Michigan and study engineering.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is much more than following the rules of the game. Sportsmanship allows for a highly competitive sporting event to maintain a dignified manner no matter the outcome. ... All in all, it makes sense to look at sportsmanship in a similar way that we view friendship – treat the people you play with and against as you would like to be treated yourself.”
Ty Michael Rollin, Beal City
Played four seasons of varsity football, two of basketball and will play his fourth season of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-state honors in football as a senior and honorable mention as both a sophomore and junior, and also earned all-state honors in baseball as a sophomore (second team) and junior (first team). Contributed to a football MHSAA Finals runner-up finish in 2012 and a baseball MHSAA runner-up in 2013, and also to a Regional championship in basketball. Served as a coach at Beal City’s youth basketball camp the last four years and coached the eighth grade football team that finished league champion. Earned his school’s Principal’s Award as both a freshman and junior and participated in the Natural Helpers peer assistance program for two years. Will attend Central Michigan University and study pre-medical and dentistry.
Essay Quote: “A positive attitude regarding my own performance, my coaches, my teammates and my opponents is of utmost importance when it comes to good sportsmanship. ... I am a strong believer in not engaging in negative speech of any kind with my opponents. Being a team captain and a leader for many sports teams, throughout the year, I am constantly reminding my teammates to just walk away when an opponent is talking ‘smack.’”
Other Class C girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Korinna Corbin, Addison; Elizabeth Baker, Bronson; Amanda Reagle, Homer; Mandy Haferkorn, Iron Mountain; Megan Chapman, Ishpeming Westwood; Keara Wilson, Marlette; Grace Leighton, Mendon; Allie Kendall, Saginaw Nouvel; and Kari Feddema, Schoolcraft.
Other Class C boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Matthew S. Johnson, Fennville; Carter Ballinger, Jonesville; Luke Joseph Smigielski, Mancelona; Dakota Hall, Marlette; Bradley Schaub, Marlette; Kyle Baxter, Mayville; Jason Beckman, Shelby; James Barber, St Charles; and Nicholas DeSimpelare, Unionville-Sebewaing.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class D Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
MacKenzie Ciganick, Bellaire
Played four seasons on the boys soccer team, three of basketball and will run her fourth season with the track and field team this spring. Qualified for the MHSAA Finals in track and field the last two seasons when she also served as a captain, and earned all-league honors the last three years. Played on a league and Regional champion soccer team this fall and a two-time District finalist basketball team. Earned academic all-state honors the last three years in soccer and academic all-conference the last three in track and field. Has maintained all A’s through every marking period of high school and will graduate as her class' co-salutatorian. Participated in National Honor Society for two years, on the school’s athletic council as a sophomore and as her church’s teen representative the last two years. Also has served as school president for the Antrim County Youth Coalition the last two years. Will attend Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, to study pre-physician assistant.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship in educational athletics goes far beyond shaking hands at the end of the game. I learned lessons ... throughout my four years of participating in high school sports that have shaped me as a human being.”
Sara Inbody, Deckerville
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball, three of varsity basketball and will play her third on the softball team this spring. Served as captain of all three teams and helped all three win league titles and the volleyball and basketball team to District championships. Received all-league honors or honorable mention in all three sports. Served on student government all four years of high school including three as class president and this year as class vice president. Also participated in National Honor Society the last three years including as secretary of her chapter the last two. Earned Principal’s Award and Outstanding Student Award from the Sanilac County Career Center in 2011. Also participated in Health Occupations Students of America and as a volunteer tutor. Will attend Central Michigan University and study pre-medical with a focus on pediatrics.
Essay Quote: “Helping another person in a way that seems effortless to you, such as picking them up when they are on the ground during a game, is just one simple way to show sportsmanship and get others to realize how big of a difference you can make for somebody.”
Grant Hohlbein, Adrian Lenawee Christian
Played four years of varsity basketball and will play his fourth of varsity baseball this spring, plus three of varsity football and junior varsity as a sophomore when the varsity was eliminated because of a lack of players. Earned all-state and academic all-state honors for baseball, all-league in football as both a junior and senior, and all-county honors in basketball. Served on student council the last three years including as president as a senior. Participated in National Honor Society the last two years and as an international student conversation partner this year. Coached as part of the Lenawee Christian Cougar Camp for four years and officiated football, basketball and baseball for three years for the Christian Family Centre Impact Sport Leagues. Will attend Grand Canyon University in Arizona to study pre-medical.
Essay Quote: “Humanity is resilient, but it is up to us on how quickly we recover from loss. In sports, it is important to learn how to lose just as it is important to learn how to win. A good sport doesn’t let his emotions dictate his behavior.”
Steven McKenzie, Marcellus
Expects to graduate with 15 varsity letters after participating in three years of football and four each of wrestling, cross country and track and field. Served as captain of the football and wrestling teams and helped the football team to a winning record in 2012, its first since 2003. Earned all-league honors in football. Holds a 4.0 grade-point average and is a three-year member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, holding positions of vice president and president, respectively, in his school’s chapters. Also served on his Principal’s Advisory Council for three years and participated in marching band, concert band and 4-H for four years. Earned his student council’s Citizenship Award and also attended the statewide Young People’s Citizenship Seminar. Will attend Michigan State University and study agronomy, soil science and plant science.
Essay quote: “An athlete with good sportsmanship not only strives to improve but strives to improve for the team, not for selfish pride and glory. Anybody who can put (his or her) pride on the line in exchange for good sportsmanship is a champion. Not everybody is willing to work hard for the greater good, no matter how beneficial.”
Other Class D girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Julie Ahnen, Bessemer; Vanessa Freberg, Eben Junction Superior Central; Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St Mary; Lyvia Deaver, Jackson Christian; Erin Gast, Lake Linden-Hubbell; and Jennifer Malcolm, Plymouth Christian.
Other Class D boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Bret Hiveley, AuGres-Sims; Tyler Anthony Johnson, Bear Lake; Jeremy Bigalke, Manistee Catholic Central; Ben Feliczak, Manistee Catholic Central; Alec Firack, Pickford; and Harding Fears III, Southfield Christian.
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.
The Class B scholarship award recipients will be announced on Feb. 11, and the Class A honorees will be announced on Feb. 18.
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The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.