For years, Lake Zurich has been legendary throughout the conference for its student section, which on any given Friday may hold up to 354 students. But what you won’t find from looking at the stands at Mel Eide is the heart, spirit, and tradition that have been years in the making.

On a typical Thursday, Ty Kapitzky, senior student section leader, makes his way over to Wendy’s after school to meet with his handpicked crew of leaders. There, they will discuss and brainstorm ideas for the following night’s football game. The group tosses around ideas including cheers, themes, and chants.

The seven leaders, otherwise known by the student section as the “front seven,” are the loudest, most decorated members of the student section. They boast front row seats and write cheers on the large whiteboard for the audience behind them to read and follow. This year’s “front seven” are seniors Ty Kapitzky, Will O’Brien, Chevy Loche, Ryan Moran, Tommy Kowalski, John Repplinger and Kane Durment.

The initiation process to becoming the student section leader is a tradition of its own.

“Last year, Joey [Bialas, last year’s students section leader] picked me to carry on as the new leader because I was the biggest fan from the juniors,” Kapitzky said. “Then, I had to meet with Mr. Vazquez, athletic director, to make it official.”

While Kapitzky earned the job by cheering the hardest, he keeps an unusual work ethic for organizing themes for the football games.

“I usually cuddle up with the Grant Soucy head [the large cutout of the senior’s head propped on a stick] and put on some Wiz Khalifa for a few hours,” Kapitzky said. “The ideas just flow to me that way.”

Rolly Vazquez, athletic director, requires the new leaders to meet with him so he can set down the expectations as appropriate cheers and verbage are always a concern of the faculty.

“During the first soccer game against Carmel, there were two cheers that the supervisor had to come and tell me to cut short,” Kapitzky said, “but that was just my first game as leader, so I learned.”

While the job many require hours of unseen planning, Kapitzky would not have it any other way.

“I believe I will look back at my experience with the student section and think of how amazing it was to work with so many new people,” Kapitzky said, “people I would have never worked with if I wasn’t given the opportunity to lead the student section.”