Hundreds of Shawnee Mission East students walk along a stretch of Mission Rd. from East to Prairie Village Shopping Center. Music from speakers and the drum line is blasting, along with the cheerleading chants. Elementary schoolers, Indian Hills Middle School knights, Brighton Garden residents, parents and community members line the sidewalks cheering on the Lancers as they get candy tossed at them. This day is none other than Lancer Day, which is a long-standing tradition at East marking the first home football game of the season. Keep scrolling for an inside look at this year’s Lancer Day TV show-themed parade and blue out-themed football game.
Video by Avery Walker
How did the team come up with the idea for the float? The seniors started the brainstorming process and we threw out a bunch of different TV shows that we liked, but we always kinda lean toward more toward badass and rugged cute than like cutesy cute. Sophomore year we did pirates, last year construction workers, so we already had that mindset. Someone mentioned [“Orange is the New Black”], but we figured administration would shut that down quick. So “Prison Break” was pretty much the same idea and we went with it because everyone really liked the idea of what the costumes would be with jumpsuits and stuff.
What is the process of float-building on drill team? The float building process for drill team is organized but not organized at the same time. Basically the first day we go dumpster diving for big pieces of cardboard we can use for the float. How much we need varies year to year depending on the float, then we start bringing in supplies and make lists of what we need to get and who can bring what from home. Then we just use a basic plan seniors put together and get to work for a week and a half to two weeks. Varsity is the only one that does float building because they’re the only ones with the float, and each girl has to get a certain amount of hours before Lancer Day Eve, the Thursday before Lancer Day, usually six to seven hours or else they get a demerit. The best part of float building is the sleepover the night before Lancer Day when we put all the finishing touches on the float and usually do some of our hair for the next day and just get über hype for the best day of the year.
How does the team get hyped for the parade beforehand? Like I said we meet Thursday before around dinner time and we do finishing touches on the float, eat dinner, hang out, give each other ideas on what they could do for their costumes and hair, stay up way later than we should and get up the next day around 5:30. We get to school around 6:45 to be out and ready to greet students by the doors with cheer and drum line, then march in the halls with them right before first hour. It’s definitely one of my favorite things about East and Lancer Day and everyone on the team gets really into it!
For more photos from the parade, click here
By Reser Hall
In the highly anticipated rematch between the SME Lancers and the Rockhurst Hawklets, the Hawklets prevailed with a score of 21-17.
Both student sections were electric at kickoff, with East’s yell leaders starting their signature seven nation army chant up before the kickoff. Painted head-to-toe in blue body paint, the yell leaders got the East crowd hyped for the rematch.
“I think the crowd was more hyped up because of Lancer Day and because there was about five times more people going to the game than usual.” Yell Leader Matthew McGannon said. “I don’t think there will be a crowd that big again until we play them again in 20 years.”
After receiving the opening kickoff, Rockhurst marched down and started the game with an opening drive touchdown. East immediately struck back with a field goal of their own to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Hawklets.
The dominant offensive performance continued into the second quarter as Rockhurst scored again to make the score 14-3 capping off another long drive by the Hawklets.
Before much time passed, the Lancers responded with a touchdown of their own, with Milton Braasch diving in for the touchdown to make the score 14-10, which was still the score as the teams headed for the locker room for halftime.
East started the second half hot with a touchdown just after the halfway mark of the third quarter, taking their first lead of the game, 17-14.
The Lancers held onto this lead for the remainder of the third quarter and well into the fourth until the Hawklets mounted a scoring drive to yank back the lead from East.
Much like last year, the Lancers were given a shot late in the fourth quarter to score and win the game but came up short. The Lancers received the ball with back with less than a minute left in the game, but were deep in their own territory.
Quarterback Anderson Maddox tried throwing it deep twice with no success. Their drive ended with a fumble by Kelyn Bolton on a third down pass out to the flat.
The game ended with Rockhurst’s Quarterback Derek Green kneeling the ball to clinch the Rock’s second straight win against the Lancers.
For more photos from the game, click here
Video by Dylan Krieg
What are ways you try to amp up the student section? As a group we try to stay all together with all the chants we are doing. We aren’t perfect yet because it’s early, but in a few games I think we will be a lot better. Personally I try to just be the loudest possible and go nuts every time we get a first down or score and hope that my energy feeds off to the kids in the student section.
How did the yell leaders prepare for the game? We worked with Coach Hair to plan the walkout, which was really cool and we also have been talking to kids that we know from different high schools in the country to try and adapt those cheers into our student section.
What did you like about yell leading compared to being in the student section? In eighth grade Thomas Luger and I were at the state game and saw how great Luke Haverty was leading that student section and we talked about being one of those guys that can hype every one up and five years later, we are. So I know we all have been looking forward to being in front. Personally, I love being front row and just feeling more a part of the game because we can affect how loud the student section is on third downs and key defensive possessions.
What about the student section was more exciting during this game? This game was more exciting because a lot of people at East grew up with Rock guys and are friends with them so the rivalry is much bigger. Also the loss last year and the last time playing them in football made the game that much bigger.
