- November 26, 2024
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The Sandcrab student section never sits during football games. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
I first became a sports fan in 1992, upon hearing the name “Jerry Rice.” I simply liked him because my cousin and his father’s name was Jerry. It was coincidental that he was the best wide receiver in NFL and would become arguably the best player ever.
My dilemma came in the playoffs, when he and the San Francisco 49ers would lose annually to the Cowboys, who would go on to win a Super Bowl. My mom loved the Cowboys. As my 49ers lost in the games that mattered most, I never thought of switching teams. I just learned to hate Dallas a little more. But, I didn’t look forward to the playoffs.
I thought about this while observing the Seabreeze student section.
A fan’s loyalty is only tested during a tough run. It is no fault to Mainland fans that they get to cheer on a top-ranked team that literally wins 9-out-of-10 times (they’re 38-4 over the last three years), but loyalty can’t be measured with them.
In contrast, Seabreeze has become the perfect tester of loyalty. In that same span, the Sandcrabs have gone 13-21, winning seven games in 2013. Their fan support has dwindled, and even family members have expressed their reluctance to attend games during this stretch. Not the student section.
If you were to look at these dozens of teenage supporters for the entire 48 minutes, you might mistake the losing team on the field for the winning team. They paint their bodies, wave around flags and lose their voices from screaming, all for a team that has turned out little wins.
“I’ve come to learn that this school is one big family,” said Jacob Wagers, one of the faith student section members. “You support your family, even when you know they might not receive the outcome they deserve. Knowing Seabreeze may not be the best team, the student section tries to support the football team with love and courage. If may be hard to cheer for a losing team, but it isn’t hard to cheer for fellow classmates that you refer to as brothers.”
“Ever since my freshman year, when my brother was a senior on the good team, I learned the student section tradition,” Dennis Filipovski added. “Win or lose, being around “family” in the student section feels like a win already, so if we actually win, that’s just a bonus. There is just an indescribable feeling you get when you cheer for Seabreeze, and that’s what makes us show up every Friday night.”
