Black and maroon hand prints cover legs and face paint is smeared beneath the students’ eyes. After the National Anthem concludes, juniors and seniors link arms to start swaying in unison for the “We Ready” chant. The banging of trash can lids and flags being whipped in the air overflow the student section at Bible Memorial Stadium.

“I think it’s important to help the varsity athletes because they put a lot of work into their sport,” junior Alan Orwick said. “I think it’s important it for us to go out and support them and a lot of people need to recognize that whether it’s football, track, basketball or volleyball.”

For a select group of fans, being a Raider is more than just showing up for the game. It means face paint, megaphones, and a whole lot of cheering. Oh, and showing up more than a little early.

“Depending what team we play and what we think the turnout will be or whether it’s home or away, I usually like to get there and hour or hour and a half early,” Orwick said. “I like being in the front row because it’s more energetic, and I get more involved and it’s easier to get chants going and lead cheers.”

The juniors and seniors compete to get the front row at every game. At one game, junior Lindsey Lambert showed up at 6 p.m. and was stuck sitting on the edge. She’s vowed to never let that happen again.

“I normally get there early, probably 5 p.m.,” senior Jacob Alger said. “I’ve gotten there earlier like the game at Leander. There’s always a dispute on who gets the front because the front is the best. But normally seniors are up at the front. If you cheer, you should be up at the front.”

For an avid fan, the front row of the student section is the best seat in town. Even if it means some debate between juniors and seniors.

“If you’re putting work into the games and you’re making things happen like decorations and the energy you have, I feel like those people who put the most work into games should be in the front,” Orwick said.

Regardless, the student section has a job to do – support the team playing.

“If you’re in the student section, you need to be cheering,” Alger said. “I think that’s one of the biggest difficulties for people who think it’s more of a social event, hanging out and having fun but we are also there to support the team. That’s our job. It’s a big thing. Getting everybody on the same page and everybody to do the same cheers.”

Students in the front row lean across the fence to communicate what cheer will be done with yell leaders Reid Walker, Pablo Rodriguez and Alger leading the student section into a chant.

“Usually during the game if we’re up or we need to get some energy going, we chant ‘I Believe,’ ” Orwick said. “That’s been a tradition here for years. It started when I was a freshman and it’s kind of fun to see it span across the years.”

Besides the “We Ready” and “I Believe” chants, the student section reminds the other team, “You Can’t Do That,” after penalty calls. Lambert knows the importance of being front and center for the cheers.

“You’re right there in the center and when the cheer happens, you’re not the last one to know about it,” Lambert said.

While this may be just another year for the juniors and underclassmen, for the seniors their last year of high school football is almost over.

“I will definitely miss it,” senior Kayleigh Norte said. “I loved being in the front row and once we leave high school we have to start in the back again and work our way up.”

For Alger, there are two district games left to cheer on his brother Andre, who play running back for the Raiders.

“It isn’t sad, but it’s your last to go at it and so you kind of go all out and hope you can do the best for the guys,” Alger said.

Going all out for the games is a huge deal to the student section, Norte even wore a pink tutu to the Pink Out game against McNeil. At Dragon Stadium last Friday, it was a White Out event, with students going as far as wearing white leggings and white face paint.

“[There’s] usually a theme, I like to go all out for that,” Orwick said. “It’s just fun to see people come together when we do black out, white out or pink out.”

The student section has created a Twitter account this year to help spread the word to students to attend football and volleyball games. At each game, they’re looking to cheer on the team and elevate the crowd to a loud, supportive frenzy.

“My favorite part is being a part of what the football team is doing on the field even though we aren’t playing, we are a big part of what they do and their energy on the field,” Alger said. “That experience is really cool.”