Bridgman's 'Orange Crush' Rules the Hive
February 3, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BRIDGMAN – On a bulletin board in Bridgman coach Mike Miller’s office hangs the numbers 146 and 31 – his boys basketball team’s record at home dating back to the 1995-96 season.
His players take pride in those numbers, updating them within minutes of returning to locker room after the latest win. And that pride extends to the 100-plus students packed into the corner bleachers that rise over the top of the locker room and into the rafters.
Bridgman is a Class C school with only 320 students. But roughly half made up the “Orange Crush” cheering section that piled into “The Hive” on Friday and helped the Bees add another win to the board.
A first-time Battle of the Fans finalist, the Orange Crush has been building one of southwest Michigan’s top cheering sections for half a decade with one goal in mind – to make Bridgman’s recently-constructed gym – renovated in 2012 – an old-fashioned, scary place to travel if you’re an opposing basketball player.
“I grew up with sports, and if you watch a college game – for example, a Michigan State basketball game – or go to Breslin Center, people are terrified. That’s all you hear on TV, and if you go to a game, it’s crazy,” said Bridgman junior Cullen Peters, a member of the boys basketball team who leads the Orange Crush during the football season. “It’s something at the high school level that we wanted to have as well. We’re feared. People are scared to come here.”
Bridgman on Friday was the second stop on this year’s Battle of the Fans III tour. MHSAA staff and Student Advisory Council members will visit Frankfort on Monday, Traverse City West on Friday and then finish at Beaverton on Feb. 14. Public voting on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites will take place Feb. 18-20, with the Student Advisory Council taking that vote into consideration when selecting the champion.
The winner will be announced on Second Half on Feb. 21 and honored with a championship banner during the Boys Basketball Semifinals on March 21 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
The Orange Crush would love to be there to support its teams – the boys are 8-4 and made the Semifinals in 2010 – although the BOTF competition certainly has stoked the section’s long-standing fire even as Bees fans take pride in being old school.
While certainly there’s a rough agenda going into games, section leaders admit there’s little pre-planning involved. The Crush just asks classmates to show up en masse and follow what unfolds.
Cheers are passed down from year to year, and the section works in concert with a sizable pep band that sits above and the cheerleaders on the adjacent end line.
“The student section shows up to support the Bees. That’s why we stick to tradition,” said junior Matt Starkey, who leads one of the section’s favorite passed-down cheers, “boom-chicka-boom.” “We like to focus on the game and what’s going on in the game.”
The Orange Crush’s initial rise pre-dates this current group of high schoolers, although it is because of tragic circumstances that athletic director John Norton can pinpoint when the section got rolling.
A 2010 senior, Jeff Demko, came to Norton to get his assistance in ramping up the student section’s efforts that basketball season. That included the purchase of Orange Crush T-shirts in advance of the Jan. 5 game.
On the way to the game that night, Demko and classmate Frankie Pipkins were in a car crash and died.
Although the current seniors were in eighth grade, the current leaders had ties to Demko and Pipkins and vividly remember that night. Demko’s Orange Crush shirt hangs to this day in Norton’s office. And his spark for the student section continued in close friend Adam Klug, who kept the Hive buzzing into the 2012-13 school year.
That fall, Bridgman students including current leaders Peters and sophomore Katie Hartzler attended the MHSAA Sportsmanship Summit in Kalamazoo, where a main focus was fan sportsmanship and the previous year’s inaugural Battle of the Fans.
“We had a lot of ideas already … but we ended up learning a lot,” Peters said. “It really helped us take it to the next level. The whole BOTF thing, it really motivated people from the freshman to the seniors. Sometime with a student section you’ll see seniors and juniors getting into it, and the freshman just messing around at the top. The competition aspect just invigorated everyone to pull out even more school spirit than they had and also sportsmanship, what lines to cross or not to cross.”
For example, they may yell “airball,” but they don’t continue past that first missed shot. Or, they’ll chant, “If you’re winning and you know it, clap your hands.” But they don’t follow that with anything about the opponent.
Seniors Jordan Alfredo and Hannah Malevitis were cheerleaders through this fall before deciding to leave the squad so they could spend their final high school winter in the middle of the cheering section’s front rows. And, of course, there’s mascot Buzz, Peters’ freshman brother Logan, who pushes a lever into a fake “TNT” box after every 3-pointer to send Bees fans flying backward.
The section has invigorated the boys basketball team in particular.
Peters remembered running onto his floor for the second game of the season, and the teammate in front of him was so stoked he threw his warm-up lay-up over the backboard. “I’m like, ‘Dude, what’s going on?’ He was so jacked from the student section,” Peters said.
And the leaders can tell when it’s making a difference. Peters said the Bees were second in their area in points given up per game last season, a direct effect of the tough homecourt. Bridgman hosted Decatur on a Tuesday earlier this season and had its lowest Orange Crush turnout of the season – but his Decatur friends said after how it was the craziest atmosphere they’d ever played in.
“When other student sections come to the Hive, we’re constantly trying to do something no matter what’s going on in the game. We’re always cheering,” Alfredo said. “Other student sections get pretty intimidated by that, and that’s pretty cool for us. We’re such a small school, that doesn’t happen very much.”
When Bridgman was named a BOTF finalist, Norton called the five leaders into his office and told them to “spread the word.” Between Twitter and old-fashioned yelling, that didn’t take long.
But even if Bridgman doesn’t win Battle of the Fans III, the Orange Crush is proud it will be showing some purple when highlights are shown during the Basketball Finals on the Breslin Center scoreboard – Bridgman students raised $6,000 for eating disorder treatment Friday in honor of one of coach Miller’s daughters, who received treatment for the disease at Selah House in Anderson, Ind.
Bridgman might be among the smaller BOTF finalists. But it’s impact remains mighty.
“We want to be old-fashioned. You come to Bridgman, you’re going to be scared,” Peters said. “The focus of the game for the student section, and the crowd in general is (to create) a crazy atmosphere and be loud as heck.”
Battle of the Fans III is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
PHOTOS: (Top) Bridgman’s “Orange Crush” put the “A” in YMCA on Friday during the boys basketball game against Niles Brandywine. (Below) Mascot Buzz (freshman Logan Peters) is always on hand to keep the Bees buzzing. (Photos courtesy of Michael VandeZande.)
Scholars and Athletes 2013: Class A
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 19, 2013
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 13 student-athletes from Class A member schools to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 24th year of sponsoring the award, will give a $1,000 college scholarship to 32 individuals who represent their member school 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. Of Class A honorees, seven are girls and six are boys – with the seventh girl an at-large selection.
Each scholarship recipient will be honored during a halftime ceremony at the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 23 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to other finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class A Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Lara Fawaz, Dearborn; Kayla Giese, Macomb Dakota; Kristin Nicole Green, Saline; Kelly Hall, Saline; Brooke Kovacic, Oxford; Teresa LaForest, St. Joseph; Reinie Thomas, Portage Central; Marcus Barnett, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore; Connor James Bos, Holland; Bryan Condra, Hartland; Kalvis Hornburg, Traverse City Central; Jeremy Simon, Richland Gull Lake; and Adam Whitener, Saline.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class A Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Lara Fawaz, Dearborn. Four-year letterwinner in Basketball and Tennis, served at team captain and captured all-league and academic all-league honors in both sports. Has played doubles on Dearborn tennis team which has qualified for MHSAA Finals the past three years. Four-year participant in Key Club, Arabic Club and Sadr Foundation USA. Has served as student government vice president for two years, and as an officer for National Honor Society and Arabic Club. Helped launch a book drive for Oakwood Center for Exception Families, which garnered over 500 books. Has also been a tutor. Plans neuroscience studies at the University of Michigan.
Essay Quote – “Those who lose and start to cause trouble with their opponents, do not only lose, but also undermine the respectable system of the game. Sometimes you lose and others you win, but how you react to a certain loss or win is what will define you as an athlete.”
Kayla Giese, Macomb Dakota. In four years on swimming team, was team captain, most valuable, all-county and league all-academic. Helped lead squad to back-to-back conference championships. Also lettered twice in track, earning all-county and league all-academic on teams which won league and county championships. Served as vice president of student government and National Honor Society, and was class secretary. Delegate to Michigan Association of Student Councils & Honor Societies. Active in Key Club and Be The Change at Dakota High School, and has performed numerous hours of community service. Will attend Michigan State University, studying cellular and molecular biology.
Essay Quote – “I have evolved as a sportsman, as well as a leader. I have flourished and succeeded through this development of sportsmanship. It has allowed me to expand my leadership skills as my teammates admire the encouragement and support I provide for them.”
Kristin Nicole Green, Saline. Will letter for four seasons in both cross country in track. Earned all-conference, academic all-conference and league sportsmanship awards. Captain of both cross country and track teams as a senior. Medaled at MHSAA Lower Peninsula Track & Field Finals twice as part of relay teams. Also earned all-conference and academic all-conference honors in track. Organized effort by cross country team to provide Christmas for local family. Youth soccer referee and a certified swimming lifeguard. Part of Link Crew at Saline, which helps freshmen transition into high school. Plans to major in marketing and psychology at the University of Michigan.
Essay Quote – “When there is no sportsmanship in an athletic event, whether it is a recreational soccer match or the football state championships there is a gaping hole for bitterness, frustration, and even hatred to fill.”
Kelly Hall, Saline. A four-time letterwinner in cross country, and also earned three letters in track. Received hardest worker award as a senior. Received league all-academic award each year in cross country and track. Recipient of school’s Coach Mike Smith Scholarship for sportsmanship, leadership and character. Has been an officer with National Honor Society, Saline Youth Council and Interact Club. Has played violin in school symphony orchestra. Selected Homecoming Queen in 2012. Received INTERACT Award three times. Volunteer work ranges from food bank to youth membership. Will attend either the University of Michigan or Yale University to study informatics and epidemiology and eventually pursue an MBA degree.
Essay Quote – “It may sound like a cliché, but I truly believe that the lessons learned every day in practice are as important as those learned in the classroom. One of the most important of these lessons is sportsmanship, and I’m blessed to have a coach who recognizes this. He has instilled in us values and respect and modesty, reminding us often ‘Humble when you win, gracious when you lose.’”
Brooke Kovacic, Oxford. Served as team captain of cross country squad for the past three seasons, as well as the past two seasons in track. Will win four varsity letters in each sport. Medaled at MHSAA Division 1 Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals all four years, finishing fourth as a junior, sixth as a senior. Team most valuable and all-league four times. Academic all-state honoree. On the track, also earned all-state, all league and all-country awards. Played clarinet in concert band four years. Helps mentor and tutor younger students through Captain’s Club and Link Crew. Member of National Honor Society, and captain of Adventure Club. Plans to study Kinesiology at Michigan State University.
Essay Quote – “These acts and manners that we learn through sports effortlessly carry into our everyday behaviors and transform us into well rounded, caring citizens. Sportsmanship is contagious, and the leadership, discipline, and determination that we learn from competing against others who share these qualities make the experiences all the more beneficial and applicable to life.”
Teresa LaForest, St. Joseph. Performs in cross country in the fall and tennis in the spring, winning seven varsity letters to date. A team captain in cross country, and a Regional Singles champion and all-conference honoree in tennis. Has participated in student government all four years, and served as class treasurer and vice president. Also a member of Key Club, Latin Club and Math Club, and is as an officer in all three groups. Has been a youth tennis instructor and a volunteer with a local soup kitchen and Habitat for Humanity. Engineering will be her course of study at the University of Michigan.
Essay Quote – “The strength of the human spirit will always be tested by challenges, but making choices based on the values of respect, integrity and fairness – the essentials of sportsmanship – brings out the best in all people, athletes and non-athletes alike.”
Reinie Thomas, Portage Central. Will finish high school playing days with 10 varsity letters – four each in basketball and track; and two in volleyball. A team captain in hoops and on the track. Most valuable and most improved in basketball; and also won all-conference honors. Helped organize Pink Out games for American Cancer Society. All-conference performer in the 200-meter dash in track. Elected to leadership positions with National Honor Society and youth councils for Portage and Kalamazoo. Plays the saxophone and piano. Also attends Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center and competes on computer science team. Active in numerous community volunteer roles. Will continue education at the University of Chicago and study pre-med.
Essay Quote – “Though many times good sportsmanship is overlooked, it is a very valuable piece to every game. The fact that someone is still able to care about someone other than themselves during a contest almost means more than the game itself. After all, it is only a game. I love to win, but what’s a win with a bad attitude and reputation?”
Marcus Barnett, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore. Three-sport athlete, winning four letters in soccer and track and field, and three in basketball. All-state and academic all-state in soccer, and was team captain as a senior. Won all-academic awards three straight years in basketball and track and field. Was team captain in track and field, and a qualifier for the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals first three years in school. Involved for four years in Principals & Leadership. Treasurer in National Honor Society. Took part in Chinese Foreign Cultural Exchange Program and Lake Shore Chinese/American Student Summit. Member of Goodfellows of Madison Heights, and active in church activities. Plans to study engineering at Lawrence Technological University or the University of Michigan.
Essay Quote - “My mother always taught me to treat people the way you would like to be treated. This life lesson is the very same principle I use on the soccer field, basketball court, and the track. I know that in other areas of my life, such as college or my career, I will encounter people who will try to advance themselves by putting others down. In these situations I can fall back on the sportsmanship lessons that I have practices through high school athletics.”
Connor James Bos, Holland. Four-year standout in swimming, qualifying for MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals each year. Finished sixth in 100-yard backstroke as a junior, and also was part of two relay teams that medaled. Also earned all-conference honors, and was part of winning 400-yard relay team. Spent four years on Student Council, and was class president three times. Member of choir and Fellowship of Christian Athletes throughout high school. Worked for three years on Holland Youth Advisory Council and West Michigan Airport Authority Board. Took part in Boy’s State and Boy’s Nation. Member of church praise band. Will study business and political science in college; considering Hope College, the University of Kentucky, Auburn University and Gardner-Webb University.
Essay Quote – “Too often, our eyes are only on the prize of winning and not the process it takes to really be a ‘winning’ team in all aspects. When I interview for a job, is a first place medal going to define who I am, or will it be my character? You be the judge.”
Bryan Condra, Hartland. Eleven varsity letters – four each in swimming and diving, and track and field; and three in soccer – were earned in prep career. A team captain in swimming and soccer. Three-time academic all-state in the pool, and qualified for MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals first three years in school. Led soccer team in scoring as junior and garnered most valuable and most improved honors that year. Holds school record in 3,200-meter run in track. Four-year involvement in student government, three as class president. Helped create Be The Change program in school, and anti-bullying campaign. Participated in Bible Club and teaches youngsters at a local church. Has served for two years in program that mentors freshmen students. Plans to attend Grand Valley State University and study business management/finance.
Essay Quote – “I led my team to the understanding that there is more to what we do on the field any given day. The way in which we present ourselves reflects directly on our community and how people from other districts view Hartland. I led them to believe that sportsmanship was the single most important aspect of the game.”
Kalvis Hornburg, Traverse City Central. Skiing, soccer and track and field are his sports. Captured all-state honors in skiing as a junior, finishing second in the slalom. Will earn fourth varsity letter this season. Helped ski team to MHSAA titles as a freshman and sophomore. Team most valuable as a junior and team captain this year. Won all-conference honors three times. Was also a team captain in soccer, and won all-academic honors on three occasions. Chapter officer in National Honor Society. Participated for four years in school choir and advanced Science, Math and Technology Program. Played lead role in two school musicals. Active in local church choir. Plans neuroscience/pre-med studies in college.
Essay Quote – “True sportsmanship lies in building mutual respect, in the cooperative aspects of competition, in finding friendship and camaraderie in shared dedication to something you love. Consequently, sportsmanship transcends the athletic boundary, and has a resounding influence on the way we deal with others in school and the workplace.”
Jeremy Simon, Richland Gull Lake. A standout in cross country and track and field; will finish with four letters in each sport. Two-time team captain in both sports. Won academic all-state in all –conference honors in each. Was team most valuable in cross country as a junior. Won all-state honors as part of medaling relay team at MHSAA Lower Peninsula Track & Field Finals as a sophomore. Four-year member of Student Senate and served as class president three years. Participant in National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Volunteens. Also serves on Superintendents Advisory Committee, as a tutor to other students and as a youth Deacon at his church. Plans to pursue studies in finance or pre-medicine at either Hope College or the University of Michigan.
Essay Quote – “After my experience with Scottie, I grew immensely as a sportsman because I realized the kind of impact my leadership and moral discipline could have on people, and I recognized the evident significance of sportsmanship. I learned to stand firmly for what I believe and for what is right.”
Adam Whitener, Saline. Captained Saline’s swimming and diving team, and will win four letter in the sport this winter. MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion in the 100 and 200-Yard Freestyle as sophomore and junior, and swam on winning 400 Free Relay teams both years. Part of winning 200 Freestyle Relay quintet as a freshman and junior. All-conference performer on multiple occasions. Member of Boys Scouts throughout high school, attaining rank of Eagle Scout. Participated in band each year, playing the saxophone, and winning top competition ratings three times. Community service includes Special Olympics, food drives and work with local historical society. Plays with church praise band. Will attend the University of Virginia and study computer science.
Essay Quote – “Jake Englemeier, the captain of the high school team my freshman year is the embodiment of what sportsmanship should be in educational athletics. Jake was most admired by the team for his patience and positive approach as a captain. He never resorted to belittling us lower classmen in practice. Instead, he would use humor and wit to motivate and encourage us.”
Other Class A girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Kristy Allen, East Grand Rapids; Casie Ammerman, Ann Arbor Huron; Jacqueline Burke, Troy; Francesca Ciaramitaro, Grosse Pointe North; Morgan Alexandria Gilliam, North Farmington; Sarah Gutknecht, Farmington; Hailey Hrynewich, Muskegon Mona Shores; Jessica Kalbfleisch, Traverse City West; Jillian Klein, Muskegon Mona Shores; Elizabeth Michno, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North; Kelly Raterink, Zeeland East; Roxanne Raven, Okemos; Kerigan Riley, Livonia Churchill; Haley Schaafsma, Riverview; Carley Serowoky, Waterford Kettering; Kendall Tamler, Birmingham Seaholm; and Lindsay Walter, Saline.
Other Class A boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Andrew Camp, Midland Dow; Jarrod Eaton, St. Johns; Tristan Eggenberger, Okemos; Alex Fauer, Macomb Dakota; Thomas Greidanus, Grand Rapids Christian; Reed Hrynewich, Muskegon Mona Shores; Austin Jones, Bay City Central; Tyler Scott Kemerer, Saginaw Heritage; Anthony Lamus, Saline; Jacob J. Presto, Orchard Lake St. Mary's; Charles Robert Proctor, Bay City Western; David Read, Midland Dow; Harrison Schurr, Jenison; Jonathan Sollish, Berkley; Thomas Spicuzza, Oxford; Jason Vander Horst, Milford; Kevin W. Walsh, Detroit Catholic Central; and Pierce Watson, Lowell.
Previously announced were the scholarship award recipients in Classes B, C and D. The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Ashley M. Carney, Jackson Northwest; Amanda Ciancio, Comstock Park; Mary Emington, Cadillac; Nicole L. Green, Portland; Alec Robert Fisher, Battle Creek Harper Creek; Patrick Gifford, Haslett; Scott Parkinson, Grayling; and Keeton Thayer Ross, Grosse Ile. The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Kylei Ratkowski, Bronson; Grace Smith, Kalamazoo Hackett; Nicole Winter, Watervliet; Jesse Anderson, Union City; Ashwin Fujii, Ann Arbor Greenhills; and Connor Lockman, Royal Oak Shrine. The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award scholarship recipients are: Elyse Kathleen Lisznyai, Hillsdale Academy; Elena Victoria Luce, Mason County Eastern; Charles Barchett, Watervliet Grace Christian; Chip A. Blood, Hillsdale Academy; and Francisco Jay Noyola, Lansing Christian
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