Tiger cage rage

RYAN IRVINE

Tiger+cage+rage

JETT ROPKE, SPORTS REPORTER

The Roseville student section that stays rocking at football and basketball games every year is now coming to every sport. The Tiger Cage allows students to go crazy in support of their team, and no one represents that better than the Tiger Cage leaders, Max Wyles and Malaya Johnson.

I feel like throughout my four years of high school I’ve been known as a hype person, and that led to me being selected as the Tiger Cage leader,” Wyles said. “It brings out my outgoingness and energy so it’s very beneficial.”

Every home football game, under the Friday night lights, features a small army of screaming students. Students pile on to the bleachers, shoulder to shoulder, in support of their favorite high school football team. 

Voices will be lost over the weekend, with all the consistent yelling and chants from the stands. But as big as the crowd gets, there’s always room for Wyles’ big personality at the front.

Wyles, has energy and school spirit that is only rivaled by his co-leader Malaya Johnson. In their four years at Roseville High, they’ve both been known as very passionate athletes with a drive to win and a willingness to compete.

“Me and (Max) doing Tiger Cage together is perfect because we tend to match each other’s energy… so it’s really easy for me to go crazy with it,” Johnson said.

The school spirit is not solely held in the leaders of the Senior class, but also with certain Juniors. With school closures over the past year, and the Junior class having the tenure of a Sophomore, Juniors like Parker Hellekson still fully embody the “High School on the Hill” spirit. 

“I think it’s pretty insane…the Oakmont game was the most hype Tiger Cage we’ve had in all the years, at least for me as a student,” Hellekson said.

The Tiger Cage becomes a bigger deal as students get older and gravitate closer to the field. Like many other students, Junior Brayden Runkle has become more engaged as the years go on.

“Freshman year I was definitely more towards the back, this year I am more towards the front and more involved,” Runkle said.

The energy from the famous student section radiates to the field. Football players like Senior Brennan Bass can feel the excitement and use it as motivation.

[It brings] a really positive impact on the players because it gives us positive energy and gives us people to try and impress and to do good for, make the school proud,” Bass said. 

Because of the Tiger Cage’s impact on football games, the Student Government class made a goal to create a large student section at every school sport this year. From volleyball to water polo to baseball, sports that don’t usually bring in much attention from students now have full support against Roseville’s biggest rival.

We plan on going to every single home game against Woodcreek for every single sport. So if you play sports get ready to see us,” Wyles said.

With rival Woodcreek games taking up the mental headspace of most Roseville athletes, packing the stands to support them is heavily important to the players. The school rivalry is equivalent to Giants/Dodgers or Laker/Kings, so there’s no reason not to support every sport.

Wyles, sees the Cage as a way to unite the school. A way to bring students together and make up for school spirit that was lost over the last year and a half.

Come to the game, every single one, see you guys there.” Wyles said.