Views on the LO Student Section. Changes must be made

Written Sunday August 26th, at 1:07 PM

Friday’s game with Oxford proved something that I’ve never seen before in my years of watching Lake Orion football.

Oxford’s students showed pride and support for its team along with its community and alumni throughout the game.

Lake Orion’s community, parents, and alumni showed support to the team but the students are a mystery.

In the past three seasons I question the student section for their commitment to the team. Are they at the game to support their team or are they there for the entertainment and the feeling to be there???

Back when I played football in 2005, when we played Clarkston, the Orion student section had its own personal battle with the Wolves student section in the overtime session in a 21-21 game. During the overtime, play was at the north end zone where the Clarkston student section was at. So to counter that, the Orion students then moved from the south end zone bleachers to the north end of the bleachers and were screaming their head’s off in support for the team. That was how bad they wanted that game. We ended up winning that game 27-21. It truly had that community feeling as everyone was involved in some part of that game.

We have the same traditions that this season has with the drum-line and the dancing but our class and other classes knew when to do it and not to do it especially in the fourth quarter in a tight football game. In close games the students showed close emotion with the players. In blowouts the students and cheerleaders had fun with the drummers. It is important to understand that the team needs that extra strength and support especially at home late in a tight football game.

This year could be the same as last season if the current students are not careful with what the predicament the team is in.

Ever since the state championship in 2010, with the performance of the football team, many alumni that I talked to feel that the younger classes are spoiled with the success on the field by those in the past. They feel they can do anything they want from bragging about how good Orion is year after year and of course that expectation to win. I wasn’t happy last season when the Dragons lost to Harrison 28-7, the students, cheerleaders, and drummers were all together doing the traditions while not caring about the game and in the playoffs the same thing happened against Walled Lake Central. That is just wrong.

I personally feel that the younger and current student sections might not respect its past. Past student sections like LO-Zone and LO-CO before them gave the younger students that opportunity to be where they are at today. The current football players respect the past but I’m not sure if the students do.

Maybe they should.