Basketball teams play alongside the ‘Grateful Red’

DHS is known for competitive sports.This year, two teams have seen a massive increase in student support. A group of junior boys and a group of senior boys have given their full support to the varsity boys basketball team and the varsity girls basketball team.

The junior fanbase for the girls is primarily comprised of by Simon Shindler, Jacob Moeckler, Jeremy Sernick, Zach Shutan, Noah Deutsch and Ethan Fivel. The senior showing support in the student section for the boys include Josh Mendelson, Zach Shaltiel, Jack Bizar, Charlie Kogan and Mike Kollada. They offer their spirited personalities while cheering on the Warriors. These support crews both started through friendships with the players on the respective teams.

The self-proclaimed “Grateful Red” has been supporting the boys basketball team all season. They attempt to go to every game no matter if it is home or away and, they always try to be there to support their Warriors and out cheer the other crowd.

“We take every challenge. We were at Niles North and we had a small group of guys and we out cheered the entire gym. We were asked by the other team to stop cheering, because we were ‘rattling’ the other team too much,” Mendelson said.

The Grateful Red had old tactics which were not endorsed by the athletic department of DHS. After a meeting with athletic director Robert Ruiz, The Grateful Red, changed the cheering style to a more appropriate level.

“Some of their chants were directed at certain players or at the other team, but we try to get the cheering more directed in a positive way for our own team. We try to make a safe and entertaining environment for everyone in the gym,” Ruiz said.

Ever since the meeting, the Grateful Red and Ruiz have been in constant communication regarding spirit supplies for the group during games. Ruiz has been supplying them with foam fingers, rally towels and other things to help get the spirit of the crowd up. They have also been studying other school’s student sections and the strategies that they use to get their teams’ spirit up.

“I showed them different high schools and they were doing different cheers and creative chants during the game. I’ve gave them some freedoms such as being on the floor before games and really using the space that they have,” Ruiz said.

The boys varsity basketball team find that playing in an atmosphere where there are loud fans supporting them leads to increased energy among the players on the court.

“We love it. It’s so much fun. When we start going on a run it just brings so much more energy and gets the gym excited and ‘poppin’,” Senior captain Nick Zwart said.

The support for this team has affected on the team’s play. They have played well for the entire season, which resulted in a conference championship for the Warriors’ boys varsity basketball team.

“We want to hype up the team, hype up the parents, hype up the stands. That is a key part to helping our team win every game,” Mendelson said.

The group of juniors who support the girls varsity basketball team has been there for the team ever since the start. It began with a few guys going to support their friends during the game, and they turned it into a cheering section. They continued to support the team as consistently as possibly. They have became known as the “Sixth Man”.

“We all bring everything we got. We are a small group but we are do our best to help our team win,” Junior Simon Shindler said.

In the most important game of the season, against rival Highland Park, the crew was challenged by to back and forth cheering competition.

“We have never been challenged by an opposing fan base. We have dominated the cheering every time,” Junior Jacob Moeckler said.

They are a very rambunctious crew who are very spirited about what they do. Whether it is the biggest game of the season or an away game on a Tuesday night, they are always present with support and energy.
“Next season, we are going to tear it up. Next season will be even better. We have big things coming,” Shindler said.

These two groups have provided a very good example for school spirit within DHS. They have welcomed other students and continue to cheer all sports supported by the school. The overwhelming support shown throughout this season by the senior boys is sure to contribute to their legacy at DHS for many years to come.