Panther Pit proves its worth
He dives for the end zone, crosses the touchdown line and scores the game winning points. The Panther Pit–a mass of yellow and black in the stands–erupts into cheers and the Panthers win the game. This is a Newbury Park High School football game. With the class of 2017 leading the Panther Pit this year, the Pit has been revamped and the student section looks stronger than ever.
Those standing in the front row are known as “the leaders” of the Pit. They are typically seniors and are tasked with helping everyone get pumped up for the game.
Luke Creger, senior, is “currently the Head Leader of the pit, or the ‘President.’ I run the social media, plan our themes, as well as lead cheers.”
Creger is dedicated to the Panther Pit and when he’s there he gives all of his energy to the cheers and chants.
Fellow leader Brayden Tokuyama, senior, assists in leading the chants and cheers. He has been supporting the Panthers all throughout high school.
“I’ve been in the Pit since freshman year, slowly working my way up to the front, and now I’m leading it as a senior,” Tokuyama said.
Just like Tokuyama, Anderson Hill, senior, has worked his way up to become a leader of the Pit.
“I was in the Panther Pit here and there my freshman and sophomore, and I really got in the Pit last year and this year,” Hill said.
Tokuyama believes our school’s student section is unique in their unity.
“We go all out. We’re not afraid of anything. We’re always trying to come up with new ideas to make the Pit better. Our student section is special because we’ve really got the whole school behind us,” Tokuyama said.
While in the Pit, members are expected to do many different cheers, chants, and dances.
“We really just try to go wild and make sure the team knows we’re behind them. Personally, I lead the chants and cheers and help to coordinate our themes and meetings,” Tokuyama said.
The Newbury Park varsity football team beat Westlake for the first time in seven years on Friday, Sept. 9. The score was 43-40 in which the Panthers rose from being down 19 points at the start of the 4th quarter to ultimately winning the game. The Panther Pit was at Westlake that evening and didn’t let the team down, with intense cheers and chants throughout the whole evening. It was a white out and the cheering, “Helped us win by keeping us energized throughout the game and supporting us and showing love,” Ruben Soria, junior, said.
The Panther Pit is a great place to be when attending a game. We encourage NPHS students of all grades to cheer on the Panther’s, today, Friday, Sept. 30, at the Homecoming Game against Gardena.
