For the third consecutive year, OCVarsity is taking a look at the fun, passion and volume that the county’s student sections bring to the boys basketball scene.
Last year, Steve Fryer ranked the top 10 sections in the county. He bestowed the No. 1 spot on Servite’s Asylum.
This year … we have a new champion!
Check out the rankings and let us know what you think of Fryer’s rankings.
STEVE FRYER’S TOP 10 STUDENT SECTIONS
Top 10 for 2015
1. Canyon: The Tribe arranged themselves to look like the United States flag, with students wearing blue and white where the stars should be, red or white where the stripes should be this past at a game this week. That was the grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning that won the championship. Last year: No. 4.
2. Santa Margarita: The Eagles Nest hatched another terrific basketball season of school spirit. This is a large and ultra-organized group, from the clothing choices to the chants. The “Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive” motto lives here. Last year: No. 6.
3. Servite: This year’s Asylum did not match the size and spirit of last year’s championship group. But there’s nothing wrong with a smaller school being No. 3 with the level of competition that is in Orange County this year. Last year: No. 1.
4. Sonora: The Jungle doesn’t monkey around. You might think that being given a plate of great grub from the Sonora taco bar, served to me Jungle representatives, was a bribe. Yes, the food was splendid, but the style and spirit of the kids got the Jungle this ranking. Last year: No. 8.
5. Esperanza: The maturation of this group from being average two years ago to excellence this year might be the most impressive achievement in the students section scene this year. The Sixth Man intends to become be the No. 1 section. It might be on its way. Last year: Not ranked.
6. Foothill: Like Esperanza’s group, Foothill’s Dungeon had somebody make a bonehead racial reference this season. One bad apple won’t spoil a big bunch of positive spirit. Last year: No. 5.
7. Sunny Hills: The Lancers play an up-tempo style. That might come from the boost they get from their student section as much as the game plan provided by the coach. Energetic, loud, wild … and that’s just during pregame layups. Last year: No. 2.
8. Trabuco Hills: Maybe the funniest bit seen all year was at Trabuco’s home game against Tesoro. During a timeout, a girl from The Stable, stationed behind the Trabuco bench, had a horse-head-on-a-stick toy. During the timeout, she lowered, with some seriousness, the horse’s head to a position just a few inches above the Trabuco huddle. It was like the horse was part of the huddle. No reaction from the coaches and players. That’s because crazy stuff is just everyday stuff with these student sections. Last year: No. 7.
9. Los Alamitos: This gang of Griffins is organized, loud and funny. The two Edison-Los Alamitos games were great on the court and in the stands, because Edison has a good section, too. A great moment during the Edison-Los Al game earlier this week came after an Edison turnover and the Los Al kids pointing at the offending player and chanting rapidly, “All your fault! All your fault!” Last year: Not ranked.
10. Villa Park: It’s easy to cheer for a winner. This is Southern California, after all, the bandwagon capital of American sports. The Spartans basketball team went 0-6 in the Crestview League, but the Blue Crew hung in there. Three of the Crestview League’s four teams are in the county boys basketball top 10. And all four – Canyon, Esperanza, Foothill and Villa Park – are in this top 10. It was fun year to cover Crestview League games. Last year: No. 9.
RELATED STORIES:
Damian Calhoun’s favorite student sections
Brian Whitehead’s favorite student sections
Kenny Connolly’s top student sections
Fryer: Diving into the Fandemonium
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
