Friday nights at Chaparral High School are something special. This year’s homecoming football game was no different. The Firebirds lit up the scoreboard on the field. Alumni dapped up former teammates along the sidelines. Alumni cheerleaders were dancing and doing the chants with the current cheer team. During halftime, the homecoming court was introduced in a unique parade where they rode across the track on bikes, Lime scooters, and decorated carriages. And, as always, students packed in the stands were screaming and dancing all night long.

Chaparral dominated the game on the field. Led by their high-powered offense and ball-hawking defense, the Firebirds defeated the Boulder Creek Jaguars 44-13. From start to finish, chants from the Chaparral student section, known as the Birdcage, echoed around the stadium. You could hear “We are Chaptown! We are Chaptown! Mighty Mighty Chaptown!” from the pregame festivities to the final buzzer. The excitement peaked when defensive back Ben Eddleblute returned an interception all the way back for a touchdown. Many players ran in front of the Birdcage and celebrated with their classmates.

“We are always loud, cheering for the Firebirds and jeering the bad calls,” Anthony Marquez, a current student, said.

A student section can have a major impact on the game being played on the field. It is really what creates the home field advantage. The Birdcage is well known for being one of the best student sections around. The Firebirds feed off the energy created by the Birdcage. They can give the team a spark when they need it most.

“When we face adversity, we can look out there in the stands and they have our back. It definitely hypes us up,” long snapper Grady Svetly said.

Another constant in the Birdcage during football games is a giant speaker that goes right at the front of the section. They play any music from rap, dance, and even some oldies like “Sweet Caroline” to get the students hyped and dancing the whole game.

Kayla Rotella said, “We all come together in a giant mosh pit and cheer on the Firebirds.”

The Chaparral students and alumni have a special kind of school spirit. They are all proud to be Firebirds. They let that spirit fly not only during the football games, but all day on Fridays.

“We got the band, cheer, and football team going all around the school during first period getting everyone hyped,” Svetly said.

This enthusiasm is not anything new around Chaparral. There is a long tradition of strong school spirit and football success in Chaptown. The Birdcage has been going wild for years and years.

“It is like a home feeling stepping back on this field,” former player Daniel Najarian as he fiddled with his diamond-laden 2012 state championship ring. “The Birdcage hasn’t changed at all, man. It is still a bunch of crazy and wild students doing whatever they want. It’s awesome.”

The tradition of having one of the best student sections around isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. From seniors leading the chants to freshman making their presence felt, the Birdcage will be going strong for years to come. Many of them will come back as alumni in the future. On the field the now 6-2 Firebirds look ready to make another push towards the playoffs. The Firebirds play their final home game of the regular season on Friday night against Pinnacle, and the Birdcage will be as wild as ever cheering them on.