Senior Kiya Kramer takes the ball back and shoots from the three point line to put North Platte in the lead- SWISH; The crowd goes wild- a cheering roar fills the gymnasium. The student-section holds a major role of high school games, but has it always been so involved?

Students have noticed a significant difference in the past few years. “The front rows were kinda where people cared and then the rest were people who came to socialize,” said senior Riley Smith. “Now, it seems like the whole section is filled with people that are there for a reason.”

Smith believes that starting out the year with a new football coach and a new attitude really contributed to the success of the student-section. “Building up our name and our reputation kind of led to this snowball effect where people are rooting for the Bulldogs,” she said.

Some players say that the student section affects how they play on the court. “Once we start making shots and then everything starts going well, and then it gets loud, the game goes well for us,” said senior Jack Mohr. “It kinda feeds off into the fans and the students.”

As for any student-section, positivity plays a major role. “There was one game where we kept it all positive, no negative cheering against the other team or anything like that and it was the best game I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Smith.

Smith feels that anyone can make a difference at a game. “Whether people think they have an impact or not, it’s accumulative, so when the whole student section is positive, then the gym gets loud,” she said.