There’s been a new found kind of energy in the bleachers at Franklin High School lately, as Lightning sports have been a must-watch experience. Fall sports have started this year off with a bang; all programs have worked their tails off to represent our school in the best ways possible. To note, our football, women’s cross country, and men’s soccer teams made state playoff appearances, as well as our men’s cross country team winning a state championship and qualifying for nationals. There have been so many memorable games, matches, and meets this year and students have been feeling the hype more than ever.
Franklin junior and Center Offensive Lineman for our varsity football team, IJ Marsh, recalls the student sections as inspiration for him and his team. “It really motivated us at times, hearing our students really showed us the support we have from our school,” Marsh explains. “Some of our best student sections were even at away games, it was a fun feeling.” Denis Chekh, a Franklin senior, has been present at most sporting events so far this year across all sports. “It brings a great energy to the game and it’s been fun to watch. I expect a lot more people to be there by the time winter sports are running.”
The Storm Squad, a club and the official name of our student section, has piled up from every corner of the stands to cheer on our athletes, and this year they’ve been louder than ever. Being led primarily by club president Lachlan Hardy and Associated Student Body (ASB) President Phebe Doukas, with the help of the ASB program, they have made it their priority to bring school spirit back to Franklin. “Our main goal is to show up for any student group who wants an audience. Athletes, performers, student events, anybody,” explains Doukas. “Getting people to show up for student events — show[ing] up for student sections is big [for our school].”
In recent years, Franklin admittedly hasn’t had the most school spirit. It wasn’t a popular choice to participate in spirit weeks or attend school events like dances, plays, games, and more. “After COVID-19, we lost a lot of school spirit — people stopped coming to games. Athletes work really hard on their craft [just] to go unnoticed,” Hardy says. “Student support is a big part of the game for a lot of athletes.” It all seemed to turn around recently due to Storm members and ASB leading the charge, promoting events, and getting students to sit in unison at Franklin events. “…The upperclassmen have helped set the example for what school spirit should look like,” Doukas explains. “Compared to last year, our spirit has been phenomenal.”
As we transition into winter sports and events, the group has plans to show up even louder for students. In Hardy’s words, “[Franklin spirit] has improved so much, and I believe we can be so much better.” Working in unison with ASB, Storm Squad will be present for school fundraisers, winter sports like basketball and wrestling, as well as promoting “The Little
Mermaid” musical. “Storm Squad and ASB communicate and plan in class about what we want to do and how we can impact student activities,” Doukas describes.
School spirit is making a comeback at Franklin, and a new standard of support has been created in our community. You can join in on the fun too! For any upcoming events, news, or information, you can follow @fhs.leadership and @fhsstorm on Instagram. If you want to join the club, Storm meets once a week during lunch to plan themes for games and come up with fun ideas.
