“D-D-D-DION!”

Senior Brandon King initiates chants for senior volleyball player Amy Dion as she begins to serve.

“Slammin’ Sammy!”

Raider Nation claps five times, just as Cubs fans did for outfielder Sammy Sosa 10 years ago. King again leads fans through another serve, this time for senior player Sam Boesch.

Junior Jake Wagner leaps with eagerness from his seat after the first set in a volleyball game between Huntley and Cary-Grove. Huntley lost the first set and Wagner saw that the crowd needed some pep.

Wagner gets out in front of the student section and starts to stretch out his legs. He starts to hop on his feet as the crowd does the same. Wagner begins clapping.

“Everybody do the Huntley Hoedown, everybody do the Huntley Hoedown,” Wagner and the fans cheer.

“Huntley!” Wagner and the fans raise their arms in the air.

“Hoedown!” The arms drop down and the process starts all over. Wagner leads Raider Nation two more times before ending in applause.

After Wagner does his thing, junior Colin Lyman gets up from the front row of seats and faces the crowd. Cary-Grove’s fans had copied some of Huntley’s cheers during the match, and Lyman wants to teach them a lesson.

“It’s time to show them how it’s done,” says Lyman.

Lyman loosens his wrists and rubs his neck as he begins to lead fans through the signature Huntley fan move, “The Rollercoaster.” Lyman “straps himself in his seat” and leads Raider Nation through the motions. The crowd falls silent as Lyman lets out a “woosh” and keeps his arms at his sides, such as someone would hold onto their seat while riding a rollercoaster.

Lyman starts to shake as the crowd imitates his actions. He puts his hands in the air and begins the ride. He swings his arms from side-to-side. Right. Left. Right. Left. Around and above the head in a circular motion, and then again. After two more cycles, he leaps in the air and begins clapping. Raider Nation goes crazy, erupting in applause.

A new movement in Huntley fandom is in the works.

Ever since Huntley had to change its mascot from the “Redskins” to the “Red Raiders” in 2001, the fan base has never been the same. Over the last 10 years, Huntley had one unsuccessful fan campaign after another. The last one, in early 2010, was a “Grateful Red” slogan on t-shirts which died on quickly, and was succeeded by Raider Nation.

Now, only a year after its inception, Raider Nation has evolved into a massive fan organization, led by King, Wagner, and Lyman.

With its creators graduating a few months ago, Raider Nation needed people to take over. Alumni Nick Kostalek and Brandon Gaston wanted devoted fans to follow in their footsteps.

Wagner, Lyman, and King were hand-picked to take over the Nation. The trio’s devotion to Huntley sports made it unanimously acceptable to lead the fans. Lyman attended nearly all of the football, volleyball, and basketball games Huntley hosted in 2010. Wagner came to as many as he could. Kostalek liked what he saw in the three guys when he asked them to lead Raider Nation.

“It needed to be somebody to be out there, out of thier comfort zone,” said Kostalek. “It’s hard to et a big group of people to go out and support their school.”

The new trio of leaders found it imperative to get students out to see games and to help Huntley teams out on the field or court. They all have personal connections to sports, which motivate them to be strong fans.

Lyman played sports ever since he could walk. He was born with sports in his blood. Lyman’s father played baseball, basketball, and wrestled when he was younger. His mom swam and played golf. Colin’s younger sister, sophomore Erin, plays volleyball with a passion. Colin’s youngest sister, freshman Delaney, was a gymnast and is now a cheerleader.

Lyman credits some of his positive game performance to the fans.

“The game was pretty far away, but just having all those people there supporting us and they made us want to win even more,” said Lyman.

Wagner has also been close with sports in his life. He has played baseball every year in his life since he was 7. Wagner also played basketball, starting in seventh grade.

“For me, at least, having fans to support you and back you up makes you play at a higher level,” said Wagner.

Unlike Lyman, Wagner’s whole family has not been invested in sports.

“My family isn’t crazy into sports,” said Wagner. “My other siblings played sports, but they didn’t take it as seriously as I have, or have continued with them as long as I have. We’re not super-passionate about sports, but I’m definitely most into sports in my household.”

As in any business, the key to having a massive following is promotion.

Raider Nation gets its promoting and advertising out through the use of social media. The Raider Nation Facebook page has accumulated nearly 1,700 likes. King makes sure to create event pages for key games so that people are reminded to come. Nearly 300 fans RSVPed to the volleyball game at Cary-Grove.

“(Senior) Tara Lycos and I sit down in study hall with a notebook and just brainstorm things to do,” said King.

Raider Nation has not done all the advertising on its own. At times, certain Huntley teams have united up with the fan base to get more fan support.

One instance was when some varsity volleyball players wanted to rally support to the volleyball games against powerhouse Cary-Grove. The girls created the “Stack the Stands” campaign for the first matchup, a home game, and posted goofy pictures of themselves when they were younger around the school. The Facebook event for “Stack the Stands” generated over 200 “attending” clicks.

King, Lyman, and Wagner also organize specific themes for games. Themes have proved to be the biggest difference for Raider Nation this year.

“Some changes we made are that we’re trying to start themes, like costumes,” said Lyman. “Everyone wore different costumes. Maybe we’ll have formal days or hoedown days.”

The trio organized a “Pink Out” for a volleyball game earlier this year, while the guys also organize the traditional Raider Nation “Black Outs.”

The leaders of Raider Nation think that their original cheers make up the fan base’s individuality. A new cheer they have implemented is “Moses Parts the Black Sea.” Fans put their arms in the air and start of wave back and forth five times, playing the role of the sea. Next, Moses, usually senior Connor Luczak, bangs on the ground three times with a stick and all the fans fall over, parting in half and leaving space up the middle for Moses to run up to the top of the stands and celebrate.

“We created the Rollercoaster, the Huntley Hoedown, and we now use the Moses chant,” said King. “We still take suggestions from everyone.”

The three sometimes like to keep the cheering simple and bring out basic cheers, such as “Let’s go Huntley!”

In addition to Raider Nation’s original cheers, King and his fellow leaders invented cheers for specific players.

“We just take their [players’] names and get creative with them,” said Wagner.

In addition to the Dion and Boesch chants, Raider Nation also has specific chants for all of the starters on the team. The Nation also chants to rattle to opposing server by all cheering and then stopping right as the serve is being performed.

Raider Nation only has unique cheers for volleyball right now, but the three leaders plan to create more for basketball players this winter.

“Basketball… basketball is really exciting,” said King. “We have all these new cheers we want to do.”

You would expect that a fan base of a football team that has an overall record of 2-6 with two games remaining would be weak, but Raider Nation transcends conventional expectations.

The varsity football team started its season against some of the top-ranked football teams in the state. Huntley began the season with four losses before taking a game against conference-worst Dundee Crown. The team receded back to poor play with back-to-back blowout losses to Jacobs and Prairie Ridge. Huntley shut down Woodstock for its second win last week, also its last home game, but the win will prove too little, too late.

Wagner understands the battle some fans have to come to terms with.

“It’s definitely hard to cheer for a team that’s not competing at a level it could be,” said Wagner.

Lyman sees that although it is difficult to support a team with a losing record, people should still support their teams.

“We’ve had some good turnouts, but it just hasn’t been the same,” said Lyman. “We didn’t give up on it though. We still encourage kids to go to the games.”

King, however, sees that it is the most important to have fans who can have an effect on the players.

“It’s hard to do something at football games, where the crowd usually doesn’t have an impact,” said King. “The biggest impact we can make is in a gym.”

The trio tries to support the team while also finding outlets in other sports, such as volleyball. Raider Nation serves as a proverbial “seventh man” for the varsity volleyball team.

Raider Nation’s affect on players has been spilled onto the performance of various players, such as junior volleyball player Coley Levra.

“All day we (volleyball players) look forward to seeing the Nation in the stands,” said Levra. “Knowing that all of our friends are going to be supporting us makes us work 100 times harder.”

“King, the Kid, and the Classy,” said Lyman.

Out of Raider Nation’s leaders have emerged three personas along with these three nicknames.

“King” is Brandon’s last name and also represents the leadership in the group.

“I’m the Classy because it’s kind of a joke because I dress like a shmuck every game,” said Lyman.

“The Kid” also represents who Wagner is.

Although Wagner is “The Kid,” he also has a reputation of concentrating and staying serious during games.

“Colin and Brandon seem to be more chill, but they’re definitely involved out there,” said Wagner. “I guess I get really into it. I scream a lot and lose my voice after almost every game. I get maybe too into it.”

Wagner has taken on the role of leading the Huntley Hoedown, and takes pride in it.

“Every time I do a hoedown for a game, I feel like it gets everyone pepped up,” said Wagner. “It gives us new life if we’re down or keeps us in the game if we’re up. It just keeps everyone excited and into the game.”

Not only do the leaders of Raider Nation have their own alter-egos and personas, but Raider Nation has evolved into its own type of personality.

“Overall, it’s definitely supportive and positive,” said Lyman.

Raider Nation’s personality also changes as the course of the game does.

“When we lead, people are talking and chilling out and it’s fine and they’re cheering and having fun,” said Wagner. “When it’s a close game, everyone is watching they’re just really into it. They are more focused on the game.”

Athletic Director Bruce Blumer is proud with how Raider Nation has behaved up to date.

“I have seen a lot of crowds from schools that did not have the best sportsmanship,” said Blumer. “For the most part, we’re positive. That’s the bottom line: to root for our team, not against the other team.”

Lyman, King, and Wagner all agree that Raider Nation would not be the same without the help of Blumer.

“[Blumer] usually helps us out a lot,” said King. “We ask him things and he tries the best to make it happen.”

Lyman praises the organization of Raider Nation and perceives it as the biggest, and most dedicated, fan base in the Fox Valley Conference.

“Other schools don’t really have a solid basis for a fan crowd,” said Lyman. “Not many schools have a real student section with a name, leader, cheers, and just a solid well put together group of fans.”

Blumer agrees, also noticing the growing masses in the Nation.

“We always have a generous following, number-wise,” said Blumer. “We’ve had kids go to a golf sectional. It has set a precedent for Raider Nation kids.”

Not only do administrators and teachers help out with Raider Nation. Some parents even get in on the fun.

“My dad likes to think he’s a part of raider nation,” said Lyman. “He does not really sit by us [student section] but whenever we do the rollercoaster or hoedown, I think he does them with us and does the cheers too.”

Senior Nick Corpolongo, one of the many fans in Raider Nation, also has supportive parents. At a volleyball game against Crystal Lake South, Raider Nation was jam-packed. They wanted to spread out just past the student section, so Corpolongo’s mom, (name), asked some parents to move for the kids.

“I feel like if I’m spirited, I’ll get others moved to be so, which will make the crowd ecstatic,” said Lyman.

When King graduates and moves on next year, there are ample candidates to fill his spot as a leader. The vast depth of Raider Nation is innumerable.

“We have a lot of juniors showing up to the games. There’s Tanner Berquist, Trevor Obecny, Colin Green, Josh Perkins,” said Wagner. “I don’t want to leave anybody out. There are a lot of people who show up and stand out.”

Although many fans stand out, many also blend in, which is the biggest strength of Raider Nation.

“[Raider Nation] brings us together as a school and helps us become one,” said Lyman. “You could say it brings the community together because even kids from middle schools will go to those games and support the players, so it’s good to see.”

 

be weak, but Raider Nation transcends conventional expectations.

The varsity football team started its season against some of the top-ranked football teams in the state. Huntley began the season with four losses before taking a game against conference-worst Dundee Crown. The team receded back to poor play with back-to-back blowout losses to Jacobs and Prairie Ridge. Huntley shut down Woodstock for its second win last week, also its last home game, but the win will prove too little, too late.

Wagner understands the battle some fans have to come to terms with.

“It’s definitely hard to cheer for a team that’s not competing at a level it could be,” said Wagner.

Lyman sees that although it is difficult to support a team with a losing record, people should still support their teams.

“We’ve had some good turnouts, but it just hasn’t been the same,” said Lyman. “We didn’t give up on it though. We still encourage kids to go to the games.”

King, however, sees that it is the most important to have fans who can have an effect on the players.

“It’s hard to do something at football games, where the crowd usually doesn’t have an impact,” said King. “The biggest impact we can make is in a gym.”

The trio tries to support the team while also finding outlets in other sports, such as volleyball. Raider Nation serves as a proverbial “seventh man” for the varsity volleyball team.

Raider Nation’s affect on players has been spilled onto the performance of various players, such as junior volleyball player Coley Levra.

“All day we (volleyball players) look forward to seeing the Nation in the stands,” said Levra. “Knowing that all of our friends are going to be supporting us makes us work 100 times harder.”

“King, the Kid, and the Classy,” said Lyman.

Out of Raider Nation’s leaders have emerged three personas along with these three nicknames.

“I’m the Classy because it’s kind of a joke because I dress like a shmuck every game,” said Lyman.

Although Wagner is “The Kid,” he also has a reputation of concentrating and staying serious during games.

“I guess I get really into it. I scream a lot and lose my voice after almost every game. I get maybe too into it,” said Wagner.

Wagner has taken on the role of leading the Huntley Hoedown, and takes pride in it.

“Every time I do a hoedown for a game, I feel like it gets everyone pepped up,” said Wagner. “It gives us new life if we’re down or keeps us in the game if we’re up. ”

Not only do the leaders of Raider Nation have their own alter-egos and personas, but Raider Nation has evolved into its own type of personality.

“Overall, it’s definitely supportive and positive,” said Lyman.

Raider Nation’s personality also changes as the course of the game does.

“When we lead, people are talking and chilling out and it’s fine,” said Wagner. “When it’s a close game, everyone is watching they’re just really into it. They are more focused on the game.”

Athletic Director Bruce Blumer is proud with how Raider Nation has behaved up to date.

“I have seen a lot of crowds from schools that did not have the best sportsmanship,” said Blumer. “For the most part, we’re positive. That’s the bottom line: to root for our team, not against the other team.”

Lyman, King, and Wagner all agree that Raider Nation would not be the same without the help of Blumer.

“[Blumer] usually helps us out a lot,” said King. “We ask him things and he tries the best to make it happen.”

Lyman praises the organization of Raider Nation and perceives it as the biggest, and most dedicated, fan base in the Fox Valley Conference.

“Other schools don’t really have a solid basis for a fan crowd,” said Lyman. “Not many schools have a real student section with a name, leader, cheers, and just a solid well put together group of fans.”

Blumer agrees, also noticing the growing masses in the Nation.

“We always have a generous following, number-wise,” said Blumer. “We’ve had kids go to a golf sectional. It has set a precedent for Raider Nation kids.”

Not only do administrators and teachers help out with Raider Nation. Some parents even get in on the fun.

“My dad likes to think he’s a part of raider nation,” said Lyman. “He does not really sit by us in the [student section] but whenever we do the rollercoaster or hoedown, I think he does them with us and does the cheers too.”

Senior Nick Corpolongo, one of the many fans in Raider Nation, also has supportive parents. At a volleyball game against Crystal Lake South, Raider Nation was jam-packed. They wanted to spread out just past the student section, so Corpolongo’s mom, (name), asked some parents to move for the kids.

“I feel like if I’m spirited, I’ll get others moved to be so, which will make the crowd ecstatic,” said Lyman.

When King graduates and moves on next year, there are ample candidates to fill his spot as a leader. The vast depth of Raider Nation is innumerable.

“We have a lot of juniors showing up to the games. There’s Tanner Berquist, Trevor Obecny, Colin Green, Josh Perkins,” said Wagner. “I don’t want to leave anybody out. There are a lot of people who show up and stand out.”

Although many fans stand out, many also blend in, which is the biggest strength of Raider Nation.

“[Raider Nation] brings us together as a school and helps us become one,” said Lyman. “You could say it brings the community together because even kids from middle schools will go to those games and support the players, so it’s good to see.”