Basketball's Sixth Man

If you have never been to a high school basketball game between rival schools, then you are missing a real treat. If you want to see the calm before the storm, then go early to a game. Everybody is friendly, smiling and they are having a good time. When the players warm up, you will hear the pep clubs cheer. Later, the starting lineups are introduced and the students get pretty loud. The players jump center and then it is “Katie Bar the Door.”

 Yeah, the kids get to holler at opposing players and moan and groan about the referee’s questionable calls. They cheer on their players and hold up signs. Sometimes the signs are head pictures of the players or the number three, meaning the player made a three point shot. 

Let’s not forget the hard working, ever-present cheerleaders on the side lines.They can really stir up the crowd. The kids can get rowdy at times but the administrators are there to calm them down.

Recently, the Warsaw student body showed up with doctor masks and  protective suits during their home game with Lincoln. They were mocking the flu like sickness that swept through Lincoln high school that previous week. Yeah, kids will have fun.

Familiar chants are when there is a block, “YOU GOT SWATTED or when players shoot and miss the goal, “AIR BALL, AIR BALL.” 

While the kids are having fun, they are really motivating their players. Some players block out the crowd but most kids get pumped up when the fans roar their approval. Bobby Barnes, WHS Hall of Fame basketball player said, "I blocked out the crowd and didn’t know anyone was there until after the game.”

On the other side, Jordan Plybon, who plays for the Warsaw girls team, commented, "I hear the pep club and the cheerleaders and they motive me to play better.”

Denny Henson,who played high school ball in Kansas, also agreed, “ I fed off of the crowd. They made me play harder.”

So the next time you go to a high school basketball game, make sure you check out the pep club for they can truly be the Sixth Man on a basketball team. Games without cheerleaders can be boring and that is where the pep club takes over.