The Student Activities Board chartered a bus to take students to the Hillsdale College men’s basketball team’s GLIAC tournament game on Saturday in Ashland, Ohio. Twenty-one students travelled three hours by bus to cheer on the Chargers, who lost to the Walsh Cavaliers 98-69.
“When an athletic team makes it to that level, whatever the sport may be, I believe it is the responsibility of the school to provide a service for the students who are interested in showing support,” SAB director Anthony Manno said. “That’s what we tried to do Saturday, and it’s something we are always going to try to do. The other schools, other than the home team, that night had no student support. I was very proud we had that amount of students there.”
Forty-one students had originally signed up to go to the game, but many did not turn out.
“I think we were hurt a bit by CPAC. Actually, 10 or 15 people left CPAC early to come out to the game, and we met them there, which was cool,” Manno said.
Students who made it to the game said they enjoyed the experience.
“We gave it our all, from the face paint to the vuvuzelas. I think we helped the boys out as much as we could,” senior Ben Strickland said. “No one was watching the game in its final moments. We were cheering our faces off when Coop, Pretzer, and the other seniors were subbed out for the last time. I was glad I was there to witness such a huge moment in their careers.”
The players were grateful for their encouragement.
“We certainly had the greatest fan section among visiting teams, and I would argue that our section was far rowdier and more spirited than the home team’s. It felt great to have their support,” junior forward Nick Archer said. “ Of course, the result was not what we wanted, but I believe our season was successful.”
SAB plans to continue chartering buses for big sporting events in years to come.