We follow their chants, cheer alongside them and boo when they get ejected from games. In the fall, it was the famous Atoms boys during football games. During the winter, the AHS “Hype” squad has entertained us and kept our spirits high throughout basketball season. Now, they have added a few new members to their ranks and are keeping the stands alive at the spring lacrosse games. But is the Hype squad actually hyping lax fans up?

The Hype squad consists of a group of AHS boys who lead cheers at various sporting events. Members of the Hype squad include junior Tony Hysjulien, senior Moe Bah and brothers Yari and Hari Mizouri, just to name a few. For the lacrosse season, the squad has recruited new member and varsity basketball star Karl Ziegler.

“We are returning the favor [from basketball season] and bringing back some school spirit,” Ziegler said.

The boys have one goal: to get the crowd excited and pumped up, therefore hyping the players up during the game.

“We’re trying to be the loudest cheering section in the Northern Region,” Ziegler said.

While the Hype squad can get the stands roaring during an indoor, tight court, fast paced basketball game, there is some question as to whether their methods will be as effective in the half empty bleachers of a lacrosse game.

“It’s good having fans at our games. They get us going and we get some extra motivation,” senior Bob Stevens said.

Not everyone appreciates the Hype squad’s rowdy behavior and intense cheering. The type of crowd may have a lot do to with it. Basketball games are tightly packed with students, while lacrosse fans, the majority of which are parents who do not appreciate the excessive cheering, tend to spread themselves across the stands. The Hype squad has gotten some mixed reviews on the blog site laxpower.com, including the words “hecklers” and “hateful,” while others labeled them “sophisticated.”

The Hype squad is also known for occasionally taking things too far. During basketball games, fans watched and yelled as athletic directors would come over to tell the students to restrict their unruly behavior. This ranged from rude comments directed at referees to offensive signs and comments towards the opposing team.

Things can easily get heated in a tightly packed court, but you might expect things to be a little more relaxed at a widely spread football stadium. However, the hype squad was recently reprimanded at the boys varsity lacrosse game against West Springfield High School after several of their comments were deemed offensive by the Spartan players and coaches. The result was the near outbreak of a fight at the end of the game.

“They may have gone a little too far at West Springfield, but they were just trying to support their team,” Stevens said.

There is obviously mixed feelings about the Hype squad, but nobody seems to mind positive cheering and supporting your team. It is the negative comments and occasional out-of-control behavior that cause debate. Regardless of the feelings towards them, AHS lacrosse fans will be seeing the Hype squad around, whether it be cheering in the stands or being escorted out of them. You can follow the hype squad online this spring at laxpower.com.