Oct 3, 2017 8 min read

Something unusual is happening at Upper St. Clair High School. Students are filling the bleachers for Friday night football. And, they are actually staying until the game ends.

Not only has attendance risen to watch the Panthers, who are undefeated in conference action and 5-1 overall, but enthusiasm is at an all-time high because of the efforts of Kevin Deitrick, the new athletic director, and his Magnificent Seven, the seniors who lead the chants and choreography in the student section.

“It’s really been a revival,” said Grant Evans, who wields the cowbell for the famed USC chant. “As a unit, we have talked about it multiple times,” he said of low attendance and lack of school spirit. “Our goal has been to bring back the glory days of Upper St. Clair. Whatever we had to do to get there we wanted to make that happen.”

Sometimes that means spending money on hot dogs for tailgating, setting up Corn Hole and other games for pre-game festivities or contacting the Kona Ice truck to make an appearance in the parking lot. Other times it may mean creating videos and canvassing the campus to generate pep for the upcoming contest. And, of course, there is deciding the themes. There’s always a Beach Night.

“That’s always a big one. A fun atmosphere,” said Tommy Boyd. “That has to be one of my favorite nights.”

Deitrick turned another fan favorite – White Out – into a well-embraced Domino Night. The entire student section, clad in white, some sporting dots on their shirts, initiated a wave-like motion with students, row by row, falling like dominos in a halftime routine.

“Anyone can have White Out,” Deitrick said, “but we did the dominos because I wanted to include every single student at Upper St. Clair.”

Deitrick’s philosophy, indeed, is inclusion.

“You don’t have to be a student athlete. You don’t have to be in the band, a cheerleader, I want every one that goes to school at Upper St. Clair to be involved and that’s what that dominos does. You rely on everyone here.

“So if you are a student that’s only involved in going to school and not really involved in sports or whatever, you’re still a Panther and a part of this. It’s not just a select few. Everyone’s involved.”

From start to finish, Deitrick and his deputies are involved in planning. During the week, the seven leaders work on a theme, they plan tweets for their Twitter account @USCSST and make videos to grab students’ attention and desire to come to the game. In addition, Deitrick and the seven captains meet once a week with assistant principals, Dan Zelenski and Dan Beck to discuss what the students will be doing and what expectations are.

“It’s my favorite meeting, bar none,” Deitrick said. “Really I’m their biggest cheerleader because they have put this together. They are running with it.”

He pointed to the crowd assembled to watch the Panthers wallop Chartiers Valley, 38-12.

“This doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “The student leaders have taken it over in a nice, clean way. They are not getting into trouble. They are focusing more on Panther pride than they are getting in trouble and doing things they shouldn’t be. So I just credit them for taking all the opportunities and running with it.”

During the summer months, Deitrick identified the leaders for the student section. After a pizza lunch, he realized, “these students wanted to build something for the future and for the younger kids. They wanted to move this thing.”

Senior Taim Aizooky has witnessed how past leaders, he said, have dropped the ball. If they left at halftime, everybody ended up following them. He said his captains are making a concerted effort to stay for the whole game and make sure everyone else does too.

“We are all just here trying to bring back school spirit and bring back support for the football team,” said Aizooky, who maintains a 4.67 GPA and plans to attend medical school at Johns Hopkins, Pitt, George Washington or Georgetown.

Jack de la Parra agreed, suggesting the recent switch in conferences to the lack of enthusiasm.

“This year, we really wanted to bring back school spirit that has been lacking the past few years. Last year we all kind of agreed that we could have done better. This year we have stepped up to the plate and tried new things and new themes. Tried to reach out to people who don’t usually come to games. Just to try and make it more fun and enjoyable.”

Aizooky has the most fun choreographing the “Roller Coaster,” as it is his personal cheer he leads as halftime. Meanwhile Tommy Boyd has the honor of hoisting the Panther head. It has been passed down for generations he said.

“Basically, that’s how I got it and my name will appear right there,” he said while proudly pointing to the 12th spot on the mascot.

The deputies are well aware that student sections throughout the WPIAL are in a competition. Currently, the Panthers are ranked No. 2 behind North Hills, where Deitrick once spent time helping to orchestrate the “Moses Parting the Red Sea” among the school, which bears the colors red and white.

“Believe me, no one is pushing more than I am to get the recognition that those kids deserve,” Deitrick said of the competition. To win the Spirit Award, he added, “we need to get more creative.”

But the Panthers are headed in a very positive direction said Angelo Rhad, who used to play football before being sidelined by injuries.

“We have done a lot of good things with the student section. We have helped to get attendance up. Get more kids there,” he said. “Changed a lot of things and made it a lot better. Changed the attitude and atmosphere that now people are actually having fun and interacting with each other.”

Evans is proud of the “great numbers” in participation they’ve seen.

“Pretty sure we’ve set a school attendance record in the student section,” he said. “So I think it’s been going great so far. Panther pride is back.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: USC is partnering with West Allegheny this week as the host Indians have designated Oct. 6 contest as a salute to veterans. The Panthers have decided to go with a “USA theme.”

Injuries prevented Angelo Rhad from playing football. After two shoulder surgeries the past two seasons, the Upper St. Clair senior saw his dreams of earning a Division I football scholarship fade. His enthusiasm for football, however, did not diminish.

He’s found a way to support his teammates. He is a leader in the USC student section that has restored Panther Pride in the athletic programs.

“It’s pretty tough (not playing)” Rhad said because the guys on the field were pretty much like his family. “We have spent so much time together over the years. I definitely miss them a lot and I miss playing football. So I wanted to make sure myself that I could be there for them and make sure other kids would be supporting them, too.”

Rhad has done more than his share to help drum up support and enthusiasm for the Panthers.

For example, when he learned that the school was not going to send student buses to USC’s first game against Steubenville back on Aug. 25, he worked with athletic director, Kevin Deitrick, and football booster club president Phil Elias to organize transportation. USC filled two student busses.

Chaperone Jennifer Hansberry said she would never forget the command Rhad had over the students.

“He kept them in line,” she said. “Angelo has quite the presence.

“All the students were dressed in construction lime green and had incredible enthusiasm and energy,” Hansberry added. “The football players really appreciated having their classmates march in unison” into was called “Death Valley-Land of the Fire Breathing Horse” by the host Red Raiders.

Rhad has had an influence at Upper St. Clair High School in more ways than just football. He has been a student council senator for years. He also belongs to the Cereal Club. The organization helps incoming freshman assimilate to high school life.

“It’s a big change for them coming from the middle school,” Rhad explained. “So the Cereal Club helps them make friends and feel at home in their new school.”

Because he graduates in June of 2018, Rhad, too, will be attending a new school. He has narrowed his choices to Duquesne, Pitt and Georgia. He plans to major in physical therapy.

Until then, Rhad said he will continue to focus on cheering on the football team and making classmates feel at home.

“I wanted to bring some experience I had from the football team. I thought there were some things we could help the student section do and they allowed me to join,” Rhad said. “I think we have done a lot of good things. We’ve helped get attendance up and bring pride back to the school.”

By Eleanor Bailey