When it comes to high school sports, a spotlight is often placed on football. But what motivates these players to bring their A-game? Often, it is found in the stands, where we see the loud and high-spirited student section.

     At Penn-Trafford High School, a select group of students take charge of the student section and run its corresponding Instagram account, warriorarmy2k24. These students start chants, ensure the section is loud, create new posts weekly, including their well-known “Almost Friday” posts, and much more.

     Student section leader Bryce Kropczynski said, “It’s kind of cool when you are the seniors running it. You get to recap all of your year on the same account.”

     The leaders use their account to get the students excited for upcoming games. Once the students are excited, so are the players. Senior football player Waylon Fetty described this as a domino effect. 

    “The student section brings that energy that gets to me, and I give that energy to the sideline,” Fetty said. “I love the dedication they have. Even at our lowest, away or home, the student section is still behind us, cheering us on.”

     The student section leaders encourage the students to be as loud as they can to help support their team. Although there are usually less people there, the students at away games are often the loudest, while the home games have a bigger mix of people.

     Nathan Otwell, student section leader, mentions, “I just like seeing people go out of their way to go to away games. It just shows how into it they are.”

     Both Kropczynski and Otwell mentioned that the games become more fun when people show as much school spirit as they can. They agree that the greater involvement the students have, the more enjoyment they bring to the whole student section.

     “I think everybody would have more fun in the student section if they contribute to everything we do, like chants and themes,” Otwell stated. “I think it’s very fun when everybody is involved.”

     Kropczynski added, “I feel like whether you are running the account, being a student section leader, or being a student, you should have school spirit no matter what.”

Sydney Mularski, Media Manager