As I started my freshman year, my fellow classmates and I were wary of the infamy associated with the phrase “WJ sports.” At the time, our deceptively popular football team had not won a game in three years, our basketball team had not finished with a winning record in recent memory and, aside from the state title for boys soccer in 2006, there was not much to root for.
Then, when construction finally came to a close and our new stadium was built, there was a drastic increase in attendance. The class of 2007 developed a fan base around the unofficial mascot, the “Mighty Moo” cow and the cult following was born. The club became officially school-affiliated in 2008, and student fans are now recognized as “Mad Cows.” The spirit group has only grown larger and more “contagious,” infecting the stands of all WJ sports games. With the presence of “most spirited fan base [in the metropolitan area]” as described by The Gazette and support from WJ’S Booster Club, WJ sports teams have given their fans what they wanted: wins.
This season, with the exception of the golf and football teams, every WJ team holds a winning record, a phenomenon that has not occurred in recent WJ history. Both the boys and girls soccer teams, as well as girls volleyball, have clinched their divisions, each doing so with more than five games remaining in the season.
The cross country team is the reigning state and county champion, largely thanks to senior captain Alex Willett, who placed second at c0unty championships last Saturday, Oct. 23.
The football team holds a 4-4 record, and draws upwards of 700 to 900 fans per game. They have already earned four tallies in the “W” column, and one more win could land WJ its first season at .500 in recent memory. From a loyal fan’s perspective, overshadowing rival opponents such as Churchill and Whitman by packing into their stands and outsupporting them with noise and sweat and humiliating their fans as we push our teams to victory is always a pleasure.
The girls volleyball team, whose 7-5 record currently has them perched atop the division standings, got the fan base they’d only dreamed of. Once only home to ethusiastic parent fans, the gymnasium is now filled with a high concentration of obnoxiously loud students (not a bad thing), an obvious source of motivation for the Lady Cats.
On the soccer field, the boys team has guaranteed a bye in the first round of playoffs. They are likely to earn the No. 2 -seed in the state tournament next week, after falling to predicted top-seed Magruder in a heartbreaking overtime loss. However, led by senior captain and striker Mike Tillman, the Wildcats are currently ranked fourth in the metropolitan area by the Washington Post high school sports website, AllMetSports.
Sharing the spotlight on the field is the girls soccer team, which holds an impressive 11-2 record. The Lady Cats have earned a first round bye for the playoffs and are set to play the victor of a matchup between Springbrook and Sherwood. The team has yet to play Springbrook this season; however, an early bout with Sherwood ended in a close 2-1 overtime success.
I have never been more interested in golf in my life, but sophomore Evan Shapiro and senior James Lillie have me yearning to be the first fan at a golf match who isn’t a parent. The tandem has carried the team thus far, and represented WJ in the state championships yesterday, Oct. 27.
Now my obnoxious banter at games is backed up, and I actually have something to brag about when talking with peers from other schools. I just purchased a week’s supply of cough drops in anticipation of a vocal overdose at the homecoming game this Friday versus Wootton. Hopefully, the pattern of success will carry on through the rest of the year, with high hopes for the basketball and swim teams who now have a high standard of performance set beyond their previous accomplishments.
