Taking their spirit to Dayton

SANDUSKY — Yes, Sandusky's boys basketball team is embarking upon a historic tournament run. But so, too, is another squad, doubling as the team's biggest on-court supporters. For the first time in program history, Sandusky has not only won a Division III regional championship but remains one of four teams left in tournament play within its bracket. Sandusky plays No. 2 Cincinnati Aiken in a state semifinal contest at 3 p.m. Sunday at Wright State University in Dayton. It's a big deal for not just the players but Sanduksy's cheerleaders as well. They'll also make the trip and, just like all season long, look forward to rooting on their classmates from courtside. "We're excited to get the atmosphere pumped up and get the crowd pumped up," said Marlena Rivers, who serves as cheer co-captain alongside her senior classmate Sianna Wilson. "Cheering in an arena that big is really exciting." 'Streakball!' The cheer team performs dozens of different cheers. But just ask any of them, and they'll likely find a consensus about their favorite one, "Streakball," in which cheerleaders encourage fan participation to chant this now-generations-old phrase, which happens seconds before a decisive victory. Dating back to the 1990s, Sandusky fans coined the phrase for a fast-paced, high-energy successful style of play that invigorated players and fans alike. Fast-forward to today, and modern-day cheerleaders put their own spin on this classic, incorporating a clap-and-stomp pattern to get gyms, home or away, loud while encouraging fan participation. Rivers feels proud chanting "Streakball." It not only signifies a hard-earned victory but upholds a proud tradition — and it never gets old to yell during tournament time, she said. While the players embody the essence of Streakball, fans can attest to how the cheerleaders do as well, bringing a lively, spirited and passionate performance throughout each game. Rivers made a promise to anyone attending the game in Dayton: Expect the most energetic, dynamic performance of all time from Sandusky cheerleaders. Rivers said the fans and players deserve only their best. "They always talk about a loud environment, and our players like to play in that atmosphere — so we want to bring that and raise it by times 10," said Rivers, noting cheerleaders have a few special routines in store for Sunday's game. "Most of our (local) schools are done, so it's a blessing. I'm thankful that we get to go this far," Rivers said. A true team mindset Beyond pumping up the crowd, cheerleaders act as ambassadors to not only the basketball team but Sandusky High School and the entire city as well. Both co-captains underscored the importance of spreading goodwill in various neighborhoods. For instance, many businesses agreed to paint their windows in blue to support the team ahead of Sunday's game. This past week, the cheerleaders — after a busy day of finishing up school and completing practice — visited many storefronts to decorate glass in bright, blue colors themed to basketball. "Our community is all together," Rivers said. "It's just a fun thing that everybody is looking forward to." For many teams, players often ignore cheerleaders and don't realize the massive amount of time they put into routines and everything they do to excite crowds. But that's not the case at Sandusky as players sincerely appreciate everything they do. After school on Tuesday, basketball players — including senior point guard Jason Henlon — took over the gym to prepare for Sunday. They also got a sneak peek of what the cheerleaders have in store. Henlon, who remains confident in his team ahead of Sunday, knows they'll come out to play — and he's equally assured cheerleaders will do their part to get fans energized for all 32 minutes of play. "When the cheerleaders are loud, the crowd gets loud — and that gives up the energy to keep going," Henlon said. Will they win? Since they have a courtside view of every game and see these players each day in class, cheerleaders might be the best prognosticators for what could happen. Wilson, without providing a score, offered a forecast for what she believes will happen: "Our seniors are playing super hard because they don't want to go home. I feel like they will do good." Many outsiders didn't predict Sandusky could reach this point. Rives said pulling off yet another unexpected victory would, just one more time, prove the naysayers wrong. A similar situation played out a couple of weeks ago against Mansfield. Despite losing to the Tygers in the regular season and trailing by 10 points in the second half of a district semifinal in late February, Sandusky got the ultimate revenge by pulling off a 72-58 win. This game proves to never count out an underdog, Rivers said. "We got it back and knocked them out of the playoffs," said Rivers, noting this contest represents her favorite moment of this fun-filled season thus far. "It was just a great game." For Wilson, her fondest memory is the most recent one, in which Sandusky erased a five-point deficit in the second half to top Lima Shawnee, 62-57, last week at the University of Toledo to capture its first-ever regional championship. "People didn't think we would make it that far," Wilson said. "It was a good game. It was close, so I'm glad we won in the end." Based on those examples, both co-captains believe people should never take the Blue Streaks lightly. Trust in her team There's no person more proud of Sandusky's cheerleaders than their coach, or adviser, April Mingus, who's incredibly happy her girls can experience every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime journey. "This season has been a testament of power, collaboration, dedication, teamwork and support for one another," Mingus said. "And then the girls bringing the spirit in. It has just been great." In her first year, Mingus understands many girls have been a part of Sandusky's cheer program for years. Rather than force her way onto them, she takes what they're already good at and makes certain tweaks or minor adjustments, which have played major dividends for all involved. It's one of the biggest reasons why she's garnered universal respect from her squad. Simply put, she trusts them. Every cheer, Mingus said, is organic because it's what the squad wants. There's a common denominator in each routine as she explains. "You should be able to feel their energy and spirit," Mingus said. "It should be radiating off of them." Mingus said she is praying for a win so the season will continue. If Sandusky comes out victorious in Sunday's state semifinal, then they'll play for the sport's ultimate prize, a state title, next week. "The girls aren't done yet. The boys aren't done yet," Mingus said.