Neshaminy’s fans are passionate about their football team, supporting them at home and on the road. Let us know about your school’s special fans.
By Mary Jane Souder
There are fans, and then there are fans.
Few fans anywhere are more passionate about their team than the never-say-die fans who comprise the ‘Redskin Nation.’
Their support of the Neshaminy football team is unwavering, and whether on the road or in the cozy confines of Heartbreak Ridge, they are impossible to miss, identified not only by their rabid enthusiasm but also their fearless leaders with letters emblazoned on their chests spelling out R-E-D-S-K-I-N-S.
“We all have the most enthusiasm, so we decided to do the Redskins,” Neshaminy senior Mike Phender said. “Normally, it’s Skins, but we had too many kids, so we decided – the more the merrier, why not?”
Phender is one of eight seniors who combine to spell out R-E-D-S-K-I-N-S. They are the undisputed leaders of the student section, and what a student section it is.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re winning or losing,” Austin Transue said. “We don’t care if they have a bad game. We know how good our team is.”
“We love all of our football players,” Phender added. “We want to cheer them on, we want to get the team pumped, and we have to get the student section pumped.”
The seniors who spell out Redskins are:
R – Steve Lee
E – John Blickle
D – Cody Minnig
S – Austin Transue
K – Jake Kitchenman
I – Tom Cotton
N – Mike Pfender
S – Jake Turchi
“We are the most rowdy in the grade,” Transue said. “All of the student section has to cheer, and we need our own section so everyone can get rowdy for all of our players that we love.”
The genuine affection the fans feel for their players is every bit as apparent when the going gets tough as it is when everything is going the Redskins’ way on the gridiron. Witness only Friday night’s 18-7 loss to Souderton.
The student section was on its feet from the opening kickoff until the final whistle.
“We’re losing 18-0, but it looks like we’re up 18-0,” Phender said at halftime of Friday’s game. “We’re trying to get our team into it. That’s our school spirit.”
In addition to body paint, the standard attire is frayed jean shorts, Elite socks and crazy hats. Minnig wore a purple dinosaur hat while Transue proudly sported an Asian rice hat that he purchased at Pocono Raceway for $5.
On Friday night, several had to forego the frayed shorts since they came directly from their team’s soccer game – a 2-1 win over William Tennent.
“The soccer team is dedicated to the football team,” Pfender said. “We love every single football player.”
The weekly ritual includes meeting at the same house to prep for the games.
“We buy body paint the week before, and we paint up,” Pfender said.
How they selected their letter also was a process.
“It was first come, first served,” Transue said. “After that, we picked out of a hat. We had a meeting. We take this very seriously.”
“This is basically another sport,” Turchi added.
Although cheering for the football team is their first priority, they are equally eager to cheer on their classmates or - on Friday night - their principal, Dr. Rob McGee.
“We love our principal,” Pfender said. “He gives us this great opportunity to come cheer for the team, and he’s very flexible with what we do. He’s very supportive.”
“We love our cheerleaders,” Transue added. “We also cheer for our marching band because they go to districts every year and win.”
Cole Creighton got a special shout out on Friday since it was his birthday.
“Number six – Cole Creighton, that’s my boy,” Transue said. “We love the team. Win or lose, we don’t care. We come to every game – home and away. We don’t care how far it is – we’ll be there.”
“We’ll be here in the snow,” Pfender said. “We’ll be here no matter what.”
“We just love our team, we love our school,” Blickle said.
And in the end, that’s what school spirit is all about.
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