Student Spirit Chases Devils and Kicks Blues

This winter’s Chase Center and Kezar Stadium games have marked a revival of pep-rallies (and a school cheer that makes the spelling of Lick-Wilmerding feel comically long) after years of school spirit lost to the pandemic.

The Tigers lost both Varsity Basketball games against rival University High School (UHS), 26-59 and 55-72, girls and boys respectively, but they certainly won in school spirit. At Kezar Stadium just weeks later, both Varsity Soccer teams tied Urban High School (Urban) 1-1.

On January 20, students eagerly filed onto buses — black and gold, like the face paint, beaded necklaces and temporary tattoos that colored the student body. They departed for Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, where the Varsity Basketball teams would face UHS in the 14th annual “Roaracle,” after a two year hiatus.

The tradition began at the Warriors’ Oracle Arena, which the event was named after, in 2007. When the arena closed, LWHS and UHS became the first (and so far, the only) high school teams to play at the new Chase Center in 2020.

“[Chase Center] wanted to continue the relationship,” LWHS Athletics Director Eliot Smith said. “Every day the people that work there see 20,000 fans rooting for professionals, but they really enjoy the spirit and innocence of watching the high school kids. They just love it.”

The trophy, half a LWHS jersey sewn to half a UHS jersey, has been sent back and forth between the schools since 2012. In order to keep it for the year, the school in possession must win both the girls’ and boys’ games. If they don’t, the trophy is passed to the other school. UHS had possession of the framed hybrid jersey before this year’s game.

The event was always a highlight of the year for the community, but because of the pandemic, current seniors are the only students left at LWHS who had attended before. “I feel like because of COVID, a lot of the traditions around this game have been lost and forgotten,” Alexa DiSabato ’23 said.

Some aspects of the game have yet to be transferred to the new stadium, such as the half-time show traditionally performed by LWHS’ dance team and the post-game tailgate barbeque. However, this time has also provided the space to create new traditions and opportunities for community bonding.

“Some schools get football, which becomes Friday’s social event. We don’t have football, so we’re trying to create a similar kind of social gathering where we can bring everyone together,” Smith said.

LWHS students bring spirited posters to the game.
photo by Ella English

LWHS had been looking to expand school-wide sporting events beyond just basketball, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea of having a soccer game at Kezar Stadium emerged, which took the place of the Chase Center basketball games in 2021 when indoor events were restricted. This year was the second annual “Kick-Wilmerding,” and the first year both the basketball and soccer games occurred.

These big events, in addition to drawing the student body together, give students the chance to be a “big shot,” according to Smith. “To get into the locker room, to play where your role models play and to hear the announcer — it’s just a dream for the kids,” he said.

That energy on the court below emanated through the stands at Chase. The jumbotron, sporting the logos of LWHS and UHS on a massive scale, welcomed the sea of black, gold and red into their seats around 12:30 PM. The girls’ team, captained by Nina Laser ’23, Kailee Mahlstedt-Kamekona ’23 and Emmie Hou ’24 was up first. After each player was announced over the loudspeaker, the game began.

Only those down on the court could hear the referee blow the whistle at tip-off, the crowd roaring with noise-makers, cowbells, kazoos and chanting led by co-Spirit Coordinator Rowan Morris ’23. LWHS made the first point of the game.

The LWHS student body takes over the arena.
photo courtesy of Vidigami

“It was super fun to ride the energy of the crowd,” Morris said.

As the game tied up 8-8 with a minute left in the first quarter, an inflatable tiger was bouncing around the audience, ungracefully resembling a beach ball at a concert. Spirits were low by the end of the half, LWHS down 14-29, but after a short half-time break, cheers grew louder and the girls came out strong on the court.

The LWHS Girls’ Varsity Basketball team had won the last 10 games against UHS, however the Red Devils had been slightly favored to win the Chase game, as seven players on LWHS’ team have since graduated. LWHS lost the opener 26-59, led by Hailey Moy ’25 with eight points.

Emmie Hou on the Warriors’ home court.
photo courtesy of Vidigami

The UHS boys team was heavily favored to win the second game, which began shortly after the girls left the court. Although UHS scored the first point, Finn McDonald ’26 and Max Meyer ’23 brought LWHS to the lead with two 3-pointers in a row. By the end of the first quarter, the game was a close 14-16 to UHS.

The Tigers fell behind, but students remained hopeful after a four-point play by Jake McDonald ’23 to end the second quarter. The score was 28-36 at the buzzer, with UHS just eight points ahead. A halftime show by two UHS students prompted their student body to get out their flashlights and sing along to Taylor Swift’s “End Game.” The spectacle was somewhat reminiscent of the pre-2016-Roaracle Youtube rap battle UHS issued with “Devils’ Anthem (Feat. Stephen Curry)” met by LWHS’s “Game Recognize Game.”

Despite the show, the LWHS student body remained the more decorated crowd, holding up signs like “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22!” for #22, Elias Colfax-Lamoureux ’23 and “Just Drew It” for Peter Drew ’23.

With a little over three minutes left in the third quarter, Drew and Meyer combined efforts to bring LWHS back in the lead, 40-39. The next quarter and a half of the game was extremely close, and tensions were high. Highlights on the court included seven 3-pointers by Meyer and 15 points (and a run with such velocity that two rows of folding chairs were knocked down) by Drew. Highlights in the stands included a new roller coaster cheer, a wave started by FacStaff and the chanting of “we can’t hear you!” in response to an inaudible cheer by UHS students.

Nick Yang with the ball, in front of a sea of Red Devils.
photo courtesy of Vidigami

Although the Tigers fell behind once again, the student body continued to support the boys all the way to the end. The final score was 55-72 to UHS, leaving the trophy in the hands of the Devils for another year.

Despite the well-established rivalry between UHS and LWHS, the Athletics Department decided to begin the tradition of Kezar with another school, Urban. Smith also commented that students should look forward to similar school-wide events in the coming years against other schools in track-and-field and lacrosse, and hopefully someday, every sport.

“The whole idea is creating an opportunity where the kids are willing to go. On Friday, we’ve canceled all practices. So every sport has made a commitment to support the Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer teams,” Smith said.

300 LWHS students were signed up for the buses on Friday, February 10 to Kezar Stadium, the first home field of the San Francisco 49ers. It was both the Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Soccer senior nights, which added a level of excitement to the event. In addition to taco trucks and t-shirts enjoyed by the student body, seniors on the teams were honored with flowers and posters.

LWHS students posing with the Tiger mascot.
photo courtesy of Vidigami

The girls’ kickoff was at 5:00 PM. The team, captained by DiSabato, Ella English ’23, Ceci Rodriguez ’23 and Sophie Spokes ’23, had previously lost to Urban 5-1 just weeks earlier, but they were determined to give their last game of the regular season their all. Supported by the student body from the sidelines despite the winter cold, they were able to do just that.

Urban scored the first goal from a corner-kick off a header in the 22nd minute. Co-Spirit Coordinators Morris and Spokes kept the spirits up in the stands and on the field, respectively, as the team regrouped. Under a rainbow and beautiful winter sunset, the Tigers worked to even the score.

Coach Devin Harvey on the sidelines under a rainbow.
photo by Naomi Taxay

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team playing under the sunset.
photo by Naomi Taxay

In the 28th minute, Ariel Fu-Chen ’24 dribbled two players up the line and crossed the ball into the box, where DiSabato headed it in the bottom right corner, tying the game 1-1. Neither team scored in the second half, though LWHS held possession. In the stoppage time, defender Carolina Fox ’24 put an impressive end to a breakaway that might have resulted in an Urban win.

A week before Kezar, Rowan George ’23 performed in the One Act, “The Mascot,” in which his character was visited by the ghost of his father, a former mascot, while hyping himself up in the quiet of the locker room before the big game. With this backstory in mind, George again embodied the Tiger at Kezar, psyching up the crowd from below on the track. In addition to George and Morris exciting students in the stands, a mild sword fight — using the LWHS and Urban flags — occurred in the 15 minutes between the games.

Rowan George, the mascot.
photo by Naomi Taxay

Captained by Benny Wertheimer ’23, Jimmy O’Connell ’23 and Jonathan Locala ’23, the boys’ game began at 7:00 PM under Kezar’s “Friday Night Lights.”

After an even start, Urban scored from a long ball met by a fast player 19 minutes into the game. The rest of the half, which ended 1-0 Urban, was tough. The boys managed to keep the ball on Urban’s half but struggled to get it in the net.

As the Tigers huddled during half-time, LWHS and Urban spectators got on the field for some light-hearted penalty kicks. Even Smith, “a man who needs no introduction” according to the announcer over the loudspeaker, participated. Urban won the shootout 4-3.

The entire second half was dominated by LWHS, unlucky shot after unlucky shot. A goal by Locala with 25 minutes left on the clock was called offside, though Locala himself was onside. Immediately after the call, the Tigers amped up pressure and spent the rest of the half within the final third. Urban’s goalie made a number of close saves, earning him the Urban student body’s cheers of “MVP” as he blocked every shot from the goal.

The LWHS crowd was just as energized, shouting “I believe that we will win” and “Vamos los tigres!” throughout the game.

Thomas Chang with the ball at Kezar.
photo courtesy of Vidigami

After a countless number of shots on goal, the boys finally scored in the stoppage time. It was a combined effort — almost half the team touched the ball as it made its way from the Tiger’s own penalty box, through the center and to the left wing. Locala crossed the ball into the box as Haruto Uesugi ’23 sprinted past the goalie. The goalie, sliding for the ball, took Uesugi down — but not before he tapped it into the bottom right corner of the net, ending the game 1-1.

“The student athletes just appreciate the love. We’re all working together, whether we’re participating in the stands or on the field. It’s a win-win for all of us,” Smith said. “We want to give our students at Lick-Wilmerding, who work so hard in the classroom, who are such dedicated student athletes, a fun day for soccer and basketball.”