School Sports Traditions

Santa steals the show

Long-standing tradition explained: the gi that keeps on giving

Ava Hunt huntava000@hsestudents.org

Fishers High School, at least the building that currently stands, is a relatively new addition to the city of Fishers. Until its reconstruction in 2006, blue was the color that represented all the students attending school in the area. A er a secondary high school in town was built, the rst student body of FHS bore the responsibility of capturing the essence of what it meant to be a Tiger and how that would be carried on throughout traditions. Luckily, the pioneering class of Fishers High School produced a tradition that is still practiced today: shepherding a four-foot plastic Santa that attends many FHS sporting events. Now, how did this come to be, and who decided that a Santa gurine was an accurate representation of tiger pride? Dad to ve FHS alum and caretaker of the tiger tunnel, Tim Rogers, has been around since the beginning and recalls the year that Santa made his rst appearance. “Santa started in the second year of Fishers High School,” Rogers said. “We had lost our rst two [football] games, and it came to the third game of the season, and we were playing a really good West eld team. Someone had joked around and thought maybe Santa was needed to give us a victory. So, a student had brought a holiday plastic Santa from their house to that game.” Rogers remembers that game like it was Christmas morning, and he said it was truly magical. Everything that could have gone wrong for West eld did and that energy didn’t discontinue a er that game. “ at night, West eld fumbled the ball, they threw interceptions,” Rogers said. “ ey even had a blocked punt, and we returned it for a touchdown. e [Fishers] team ended up having a winning record in their second year, which vaulted the team to the success it had over the years.” Success isn’t only experienced by the football team: it is also seen through the climate of the student body. Rogers understands the importance of building a sense of school spirit among a relatively new school and how important traditions are to having a welcoming environment. “ e Santa tradition, along with wearing red on Fridays and the tiger tunnel, draws a direct connection between di erent social groups within high school,” Rogers said. “It’s why we have students enter the tiger tunnel at the entrance of the school every year because we didn’t want just football players to walk through it, we wanted everyone to. e Santa embodies success, winning and having fun while enjoying your fellow students outside of school.” e Santa tradition has continued over the years and the original Santa is currently in Fishers’ possession, but now it looks a little di erent. Hamilton Southeastern High School decided to steal it during a game, and while in their control, painted a thick coat of blue paint over it. FHS alum and former spirit leader Jake Whalen remembers hearing about the heist during his time at Fishers. “It didn’t happen during my senior year, but one of the years I was at Fishers, we lost Santa,” Whalen said. “Someone broke into a garage in order to steal it. I remember the environment at school was very depressing that week a er and plans on how to get it back were a common topic of conversation.” Since the rst kidnapping of the Santa, the idea of swiping the Santa from the rival school 1

1. Fishers student section chants “We got spirit” at the Mudsock football game on Friday, Sept. 10. Photo used with permission of Luke Watson.

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has become commonplace. As senior spirit leader Joey Wilmoth knows all too well, whoever is in possession of Santa cannot let their guard down or else the opposing school will capitalize on the opportunity to steal it. “All of the spirit leaders were getting ready and packing up for the North Central game at my house,” Wilmoth said. “Next thing you know, an HSE kid runs out of nowhere trying to steal the Santa while we were transporting it. As Joey [Brenczewski] is running away into my house with one Santa, out comes at least 10 other HSE kids from the trees trying to attack Cole [Moritz] who was carrying the other Santa. It all happened so fast and luckily, we were able to get into the house safely with both Santas.” at was the rst occurrence this year when HSE attempted to steal it. e second took place at the Noblesville game where two HSE girls, dressed in farmer attire, got a hold of the Santa and a tug-of-war broke out. Wilmoth states how thankful he is for our student body’s ability to defend and uphold the Santa tradition. “I honestly could not be prouder of our student body for how we’ve handled it,” Wilmoth said. “It’s crazy to me how much all the other students care about the Santas as much as the spirit leaders do. When they tried to take the Santas, it wasn’t just spirit leaders jumping in to save the Santas, it was everyone in our student section. I could not be prouder to be a Tiger, especially since the Santas are still ours.” Both Wilmoth and Whalen agree that the Santa tradition has increased the level of Tiger pride shown by students. ey believe that the protection towards Santa employed by the student body acts as a unifying and rallying factor, resulting in higher turnouts at sporting events. “ is lure around Santa started and every year since then, Santa comes out and brings great high school hygiene,” Rogers said. “It’s just been fun-natured and is almost collegial. e Santa has become an emblematic symbol of what Fishers is all about and that’s togetherness.” 4

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2. A body shot of the untarnished Santa. Photo used with permission by Bella Soto. 3. A body shot of the original Santa, now painted blue. Photo used with permission by Claire Padron. 4. Senior Tyler March guards the Santa at the Noblesville football game. Photo used with permission by Bella Soto. 5. Senior Clay Martin eyes down the potential Santa theives. Photo used with permission by Luke Watson. 6. Seniors Matt Brewer and Jack Backofen show their spirit at the Mudsock football game. Photo used with permission by Luke Watson.