And the crowd goes wild!!! Everyone loves a good game, a good cheer, but how about a good student section? Millbrook High School has an amazing group of students called the Maniacs. The Millbrook Maniacs are a group of juniors and seniors who lead the student section at both home and away games and work to raise as much school spirit as possible. 

  Millbrook students hold athletics at their root. At almost every football game this year, Millbrook students from all grades have filled the stands to support their team. With cheers from both the Maniacs and cheerleaders, the crowd is sure to get hype! Madison Soloman, a Millbrook cheerleader, tells Cat Talk that she “prefers bigger crowds when cheering” and that she “loves being a part of themes.” Millbrook cheerleader Summer Yeates says, “the best part of games is when the crowd knows the cheers and sings along.” Millbrook has a few cheers specific to football such as“rock me,” and “move the chains.” 

  The Maniacs are also tasked with deciding themes for each game. Millbrook Maniac Jake Valdman tells Cat Talk that themes can be preset or changed based on “popular demand, weather, and rivalry.” For example, something like a pink out would be good when Millbrook plays one of their biggest rivals; the student section should be united and since it is a fan favorite, it makes the crowd look put together. Cheerleaders also participate in the themes by matching bows and pom poms to that week’s theme. 

  When it comes to the energy itself,  senior Jahmari Smith believes that a big crowd is “always better.” One of the Maniacs’ jobs is to control the crowds which can “be difficult with a big group of high school students, ”according to Smith, so the slogan “cheer responsibly” was created. Varsity Football player Jaylen Bowen, explains that the “crowd’s energy does not impact how [he] plays,” but he “prefers a bigger crowd.” Regardless if the crowd impacts the players, the overall environment is altered based on the size and energy of the crowd. Senior Sabrina Barone tells Cat Talk that she “enjoys a bigger crowd because the more people there are, the more exciting it is to be there.”

  With playoffs keeping football season alive and basketball season right around the corner, athletes, Maniacs, and fans are going to need to stay on their toes and keep their school spirit up!