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Community cheers Shawnee’s football success

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Shawnee cheerleaders Tora Smiddy (foreground) and Allison Parrill paint a Braves sign Thursday,  Nov. 19, as the cheerleaders decorate the school with spirit signs as they prepare for the Braves’ playoff game.

Staff photo by Bill Lackey Shawnee cheerleaders Tora Smiddy (foreground) and Allison Parrill paint a Braves sign Thursday,  Nov. 19, as the cheerleaders decorate the school with spirit signs as they prepare for the Braves’ playoff game.

Braves expect big crowd tonight at playoff game

By Megan Gildow, Staff Writer Updated 8:11 AM Friday, November 20, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Twenty-four years ago, Terri Pence and Karen Brandenburg spent Fridays in the fall driving Shawnee High School football players to away games.

After a more than two-decade hiatus they returned, together again for the first time this year commandeering the Braves’ team buses on Friday nights.

“Now we’re back and we love it,” said Brandenburg. “They’re great. They are great.”

And just in time for Shawnee High School’s appearance at a Division III regional finals game against Cincinnati Wyoming at 7:30 p.m. today, Nov. 20, at Dayton Welcome Stadium.

Tickets will be on sale at Shawnee High School for $7 each from 7 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. today. They will be $9 at Dayton Public Schools’ Welcome Stadium gate tonight, said Athletic Director Bob Price.

To show their support for the Braves, the bus drivers decorated the team buses to let everyone see their team pride.

They’re not the only ones getting into the Braves spirit. The Shawnee High School athletic boosters are providing buses to ensure that students who want to attend the game have a way to get there, said boosters President Jim Kincaid.

“Making money for the kids’ use, to try to make athletic events better, create team spirit, that’s what we’re trying to support,” he said.

Kincaid said he expected many from the community to attend the game against Wyoming High School in Cincinnati as well.

“I’m sure there will be,” he said. “Playoffs are always exciting times.”

More than 600 tickets have been sold at the high school to tonight’s game, said Price.

“Last week was a good crowd, too,” said Price.

That crowd demonstrates why the community and school rallying behind the team is important, said Superintendent Debbie Finkes.

As the Braves made a last-second touchdown to advance to regional finals, the crowd started to buzz, she said.

“They knew that crowd, the community, believed in them,” she said. “It really gives them the lift they need.”

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The cheerleaders are hot.

You were thinking it too
6:23 PM, 11/20/2009

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JimmyJam fyi I am not talking about "backyard" football I am talking about the Springfield Wildcats league. WOJFC. Their home field is Davey Moore Park. These boys(grades 1 thru 6)practice and play just as hard as the H.S boys do. But when people out there has attitudes as you have now I know why we get no community support. As for the pictures we have plenty to send in and have to the newspaper but no storys for the little guys. No coverage of their game this past weekend at the Welcome Stadium

PROUD WILDCAT PARENT
1:02 PM, 11/20/2009

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Present Brave: I know we had a lot of support from fans and some faculty but that high school's administration acted like it was any old Friday night when we were making school history.It would have been nice to know it meant something to the school. I hope the team wins tonight and plays on. It's a great experience!

Frmr brave
12:32 PM, 11/20/2009

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Good Luck to Coach Meeks and the rest of the Braves tonight!

Rich Clark
8:55 AM, 11/20/2009

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Why does the news-sun only root on the high school teams? Why not give kudos to the middle school and the pee-wee football leagues? My son plays for the Springfield Wildcats (5th grade) and they went clear to their superbowl. Didnt hear the community cheering them on. These young boys practiced in the dark at times because they cant use the high school field to practice. Why is it that the little guys cant get a break? Makes me sick what little community support we all have.

proud wildcat parent
8:31 AM, 11/20/2009

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