12th Man Great Benefit To Bobcats In State Playoff Opener, Community Encouraged To Turn Out En Masse For Quarterfinal (11/23/17)

Those of you who were at the PIAA State Playoff Opener, between Clarion Area and Chestnut Ridge, at Windber Area High School’s sports complex, this past Friday (November 17th), realize what an electrifying experience it was…  In no small part due to the Clarion Area 12th Man, made up of the Clarion Area Band, under the direction of Chris Curry and the numerous Fans, who made the roughly 106 mile and 2 hour plus trek to the fine, $4 million, state of the art complex.

The great Clarion Area Band performs during this season’s Fall Sports Bonfire Night.

If ever there was a time, where the 12th Man title was deserving, it was on that night, describing the Clarion Area Band and those Fans. You see, even though we had a sizeable  contingent that night, we could not possibly compete in numbers, with the Chestnut Ridge contingent who traveled roughly 19 miles and 25 minutes to the contest.

But Oh, the Bobcat Band and Fans turned up the intensity, to a level I don’t remember seeing, in years!!!! It was absolutely amazing, the intensity, of both fan bases working to outdo each other and cheer their team home to victory. In the end it was the Cats that prevailed 20-14, to move on to the State Quarterfinals.

The Clarion Area Band and Exuberant Fans, formed a Tunnel Line for the Bobcats to run through, for the second half with the team down 14-0. There was even a major portion of the Clarion Fan Base that stood on the Bobcat sideline, for the second half cheering on the Cats from that side of the field, which doesn’t have the visitor bleachers installed yet.

The whole fourth quarter, the Band and Fans, were in fever pitch mode, screaming at the top of their lungs, stomping their feet, cheering on the Cats, and yelling back and forth, toward the Chestnut Ridge Band and Fans, who were as expected, doing the same for their beloved Lions. It was at an intensity I haven’t seen since we played behind the high school.

Coach Larry Wiser was so impressed with the GREAT DISPLAY,  that he sent out the following email:

“The 12th members of Team.

Clarion Football TEAM would like to thank the Band and the Fans Friday night. We heard you!”

CLARION AREA FANS,

NOW IS OUR OPPORTUNITY, TO TURN OUT EN MASSE, FOR OUR BELOVED BOBCATS.  The PIAA has scheduled the State Quarterfinal, against a fine Westminster Greyhounds’ team, for this Saturday (November 25th) at 1:00PM, at CUP ‘S Memorial Stadium (our own back yard).

If the roughly 150-200 (my guesstimate) Fans and Band Members, who made the long trip to Windber last week, could be so loud, so raucous, so exuberant in cheering our Cats to victory, what will Memorial Stadium, packed with everyone who considers themselves a Bobcat Fan, turns out this Saturday, to Cheer On Our Beloved Cats, be like. Let’s fill the stands, let’s fill the sidelines. Let’s have the biggest wave of Black and Orange towel waving fans, this stadium, this community has ever seen.

Let’s cheer on the Cats’, loud and long, even stand for the whole game! Cheer the Cats on to victory! But in good, taste. Show absolute respect for the fine Greyhound Team and fans, we are facing, the officials etc. Let’s show our little corner of the world, and our GREAT TEAM, what a super fan base we have!

LET’S ROCK MEMORIAL STADIUM ON SATURDAY!!!!! WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT!!!! LET’S CHEER THE CATS ON TO VICTORY!!!!

WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU RATHER BE,THAN MEMORIAL STADIUM ON SATURDAY?”

(PLEASE, GET ON THE PHONE, GET ON FACEBOOK, GET ON TWITTER, FORWARD THIS ARTICLE. ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TURN OUT!!!!)