12th Man is back! This year’s spirited crew is pumped for a very exciting season full of cheers and wins.
Aria Sokol
What do you bring to 12th Man?
“I bring pure energy and competitive drive to 12th. I love sports, and I love winning!” said Sokol. As captain of M-A’s varsity volleyball team, she has always loved competitive environments, both on the court and in the stands.
What’s your favorite cheer?
“My favorite cheer is ‘daddy’s money.’ I love the rivalries we have with nearby private schools, and we use this cheer when we play them,” Sokol said. “It’s also one of our more scandalous cheers which makes it more fun.”
Charlotte Fisher
What made you want to join 12th Man?
“My older sister was on 12th Man in 2020 and watching her plan out the themes for each game and seeing how spirited she was made me want to be a part of it too,” said Fisher.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
“I’m excited for the Homecoming game because it always has the most students and the crowd is electric! I love it when lots of people come to lacrosse games to cheer us on, so I want to give the same energy back to the football team and bring that excitement to the games,” she said.
Chase Trigg
What do you bring to 12th Man?
“I bring a lot of leadership and responsibility. Because I was on the football team freshman and sophomore year, I understand the nuances of the game more than a lot of people, and most importantly, at what points in the game the chants will have maximum effectiveness.”
Trigg also does well in terms of communicating with administration about the expectations and limitations for 12th.
What’s your favorite part about being on 12th Man?
“I love having the whole crowd repeat the chants after I say them the first time. It’s such a cool feeling to know you’re getting a whole group of people in sync behind the common goal of being as loud as possible. I feel like a choir director up there getting everyone to do the chants together. Having really close relationships with the players also makes the experience so much better because you just feel a lot more connected to the team,” said Trigg.
Rowan Kelly
What goes into writing the Instagram captions?
“If I know someone on the other team, I try to make a hint at that. I try not to be too mean, but still include some friendly smack talk,” said Kelly. “It takes me up to ten minutes to write each caption before I send them to the other 12th Man members to edit.”
What are you most excited about this year?
“While I love football, I’m super excited for basketball season. I love how up-close and personal we are to the game because it makes us feel more connected with the players.”
Dani Koo
Why did you want to join 12th?
“My friend Kate Nelson was on 12th Man last year and she really encouraged me to do it,” said Koo. “I love being involved with sports and supporting M-A, so 12th was a good fit for me.”
What is your favorite part about being on 12th Man?
“I love connecting with my class. We all bond over a common goal to support athletics,” she said.
Cameron Leung
What do you bring to 12th Man?
“I bring constant high energy to every game,” said Leung. “I’m always super loud and can get the crowd hyped.”
What is your favorite cheer?
“My favorite cheer has to be ‘silly zebra,’ said Leung. “I love how it’s different from our typical cheers since it’s targeted at the referees, not the players.”
A word of advice from this year’s 12th Man:
Every member of 12th Man stressed the importance of getting loud during games. “People tend to think it’s embarrassing to cheer a lot, but, in reality, it’s more embarrassing to not cheer and support your school,” said Sokol. Current 12th members are also always noticing people in the stands who could be potential up-and-coming 12th men. Leung said, “If you’re a junior who wants to be a part of 12th, you should be showing up to every game decked out in the theme and getting louder than everyone around you.” Follow 12th Man’s Instagram for updates on games and themes and for applications for next year.
*Charlotte Fisher and Chase Trigg are also journalists for the M-A Chronicle
