It takes a pantry’s worth of ingredients to create the kind of atmosphere everyone will enjoy on Friday nights under the flood lights.
From talented players making exciting plays to coaches putting them in positions to do so, and from the cheerleaders riling up the fans to said fans’ participation in the yells, engagement and entertainment on the field and off can make for a great night of high school football.
Another key ingredient, especially for the players themselves, is to have an engaged group of raucous students — yes, a student section.
This season, Cassville’s student section has been superb. They have come to nearly every game, home and away, with themed outfits and banners. They are as loud as can be, know when to chant and which chants to use, and overall add a buzz of excitement to the stadium, whether Cassville is winning or losing.
This year’s seniors have been more interactive with me than any in the last decade. At every game for the better part of the season, either Kyah Saffold or Josie Keevan (usually both) have yelled before the kickoff, “Kyle, take our picture!”
I never hesitate to take the shot and enjoy greatly my role in providing another memory for seniors soaking in their final Fridays in the stands.
Every student section also generally has a ring leader and chant manager. This year, Danny Roper has been handling the role brilliantly.
In Seneca on Friday, I took my obligatory photo of the student section and was on the other side of the field for most of the first half. During halftime, I was on their side as we awaited kickoff, and Danny yelled out to me, “Hey, Kyle, do you want a Skittle?”
I’m a fan of Skittles, and he offered, so I replied, “For sure! Toss me one.”
Knowing he’s a baseball player, I had faith he could get it within catching range from about 5-7 yards away and about 4 feet above me.
He threw, and it was a little higher than I expected. Instinctively, like I would have done with my kids, I caught the grape confectionary in my mouth.
The group erupted in cheers, but apparently not everyone saw the feat. Therefore, I was dared to do it again. If you know me, you know I love a challenge.
I stepped back another foot or two, and Danny tossed with an arc so perfect I hardly had to move. “Two for two!” I celebrated as the group cheered even louder.
I thought my work was done, but no — the kids clamored, “Do three, do three!”
I took a few more steps back for the furthest toss yet, and this one required work on my part. The arc was great, but it was flying about three steps to my right. I took two, then leaned and dipped to complete the hat trick of catches from at least 8 yards away.
Shock, awe and big play-level cheers erupted again. I was a little in disbelief myself I managed to get that one, and I celebrated with a fist pump.
The moment lasted maybe 90 seconds, but man, was it fun. The energy, the hype and the creativity of our seniors is a wonderful thing to be a part of, even for just a few moments.
The students’ creativity, however, drew the ire of some Seneca fans in the days following the game. The group arrived with sleeping masks and a banner that read, “We sleep good at night knowing we don’t live in Seneca.”
Some fans of the Indians expressed offense at the message, enough so that a photo was posted to a Seneca community Facebook page with the caption, “Yes, children of Cassville, we in Seneca also sleep better at night knowing you don’t live here.”
For comparison, Seneca’s banner read, “99 problems but the kittens ain’t 1.”
There can be a fine line between classy snark and snarky insult, especially when the spirit of competition is involved.
When I first read Cassville’s banner, I really didn’t think too much of it. In the aftermath, there are a few questions I think should be raised.
First, the response on the Seneca community page floored me. In feeling insulted at the message, the adults chose to mock it and double down on the phrasing, directing it specifically at the students. As adults, is this the kind of example we would set for our children? Did a snarky insult back get the point across in a productive way? It left a sour taste in my mouth.
The Cassville students, first and foremost, should be commended for making the hour drive to Seneca and going through the effort to support their team with a banner and theme, especially considering the underdog status the Wildcats brought into the contest.
We should celebrate traveling and representing our community in all the best ways. In this case, these students showed up for their friends on the road for the most difficult game of the season — you love to see it.
Yet, in hearing the response from some Seneca fans, many of them have a fair point about the banner. Instead of directly supporting the team, the message is inherently degrading to their community.
This left me asking: is this message the best representation of our community? And, if not, what could have been done to fulfill that goal?
Basketball season is rolling in, and judging by what I saw of this student section at football and volleyball games this fall, there will be plenty of time spent in the gym this winter.
Those nights may also come with themes and banners — I hope including the SportsCenter desk again; it’s my favorite. Whether at home or away, I hope to see our community represented in the best ways possible, and I am absolutely sure the fun will not stop.
I mainly just hope if we have a repeat of Friday, Danny opts for popcorn instead of Skittles.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.
