School pride

BRADEN RIVER — A pair of black pirate flags proudly wave back and forth across the moonlit sky.

Down on the field below, Braden River quarterback Jacob Huesman drops back and throws a quick strike to wide receiver Justin Ross. Ross cuts back across the field and races 76 yards down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.

As Ross and his teammates celebrate in the back of the end zone, a cheer rises from the far corner of Pirate Stadium.

It begins with a single sentence:

“I believe that we will win”

The cheer picks up steam and quickly transforms into a reverberating chant.

“I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!”

Before long, the words, which have become a catchphrase for the Pirates this season, are followed by applause, whistles and the occasional dance move, as the entire student section erupts in celebration.

Known throughout the school simply as Section E, the Braden River student section will spend the next two hours cheering on the beloved Pirates. Flags will fly. A ship’s steering wheel will be hoisted. And posters bearing the faces of Braden River’s game-changers will flutter in the air.

“This is the first year that school spirit is cool to do,” junior Dominic Aluise says. “It’s cool to bring a wheel to a game.”

For the first time in the school’s 10-year history, the Braden River faithful have plenty to cheer about. The Pirates are off to a perfect 5-0 start for the first time in school history and sit atop the Class 7A-District standings with a 2-0 mark.

And although Braden River’s success hinges in large part on the shoulders of its playmakers, it’s the energy and support throughout the stadium every Friday night that the players thrive on in the trenches.

“It gets us all fired up,” kicker Kyle Thoma says. “Having the whole student body there makes for a better atmosphere for high school football.”

While Braden River has always had students in attendance, Section E wasn’t officially established until three years ago. At the time, the section was home to only 15 to 20 students on a regular basis.

With its football team on the rise, four juniors sought to establish a new tradition within their section.

“We wanted the school to get more involved,” Bethaney Keen says. “We wanted to have something special for the school that we are specifically known for.”

Prior to the start of the season, Keen, Aluise, Blake Middleton and Tyler Dyson, whose older brother, Ryan, started the student section three years ago, got together and decided it was up to them to keep the student section going.

They sold special white Section E T-shirts and reached out to the incoming freshmen, encouraging them to get involved.

One hundred and fifty-five students bought T-shirts; the section has now grown to roughly 250 students.
As athletes themselves, Keen (softball), Aluise (soccer), Middleton (basketball) and Dyson (baseball) understand the energy that’s established knowing your fans are behind you — especially on the road.
That mindset wasn’t more apparent than during the Pirates’ first district game of the season Sept. 19 at rival Lakewood Ranch.

With a heavy downpour in the forecast, Middleton purchased $60 worth of white ponchos for Section E fans. He and dozens of his fellow students arrived at the stadium several hours before kickoff to line the street and welcome the team when it arrived in Lakewood Ranch.

“It was like playing a college game,” Thoma says.

Even as heavy rain pelted the stadium for the duration of the game, Section E continued to make its presence known.

“We really want to make it a home field advantage,” Dyson says.

Following Braden River’s victory over Lakewood Ranch, Braden River coach Curt Bradley gave the students the game ball.

Section E will hit the road tomorrow night for Braden River’s non-district game at Bayshore in hopes of seeing the Pirates continue their historic run.

“We want to be there and support them,” Keen says.

Contact Jen Blanco a [email protected].