The energy of one of our school’s most exciting sports has been captivated by cheese.

The “Cheeseheads” are quite simply lacrosse fanatics, as they have been to every single game, home or away, on the schedule this spring. This senior group of fans is comprised of “Gouda,” “Stinky,” “Cheddy,” “Sharp Cheddar,” “Pepperjack,” and “Mozzarella.”

The Cheeseheads have been making their presence known on the sidelines and social media, where they document the games the group has attended for their Instagram followers.

One senior lacrosse player, Conner Self, shared his thoughts about the Cheeseheads.  “The Cheeseheads are one of us. They get the boys excited when we are out there playing, and they know just as much as we do about the team,” Self said. “They have shown the ability to help swing the momentum in crucial games.”

The rowdy group is truly the leaders of the student section, a crowd dating back to last year that has grown exponentially in size.

As one of the Cheeseheads, Alex Bok recently noted, “The Cheeseheads are truly a brotherhood, and we enjoy cheering on the guys towards the common goal of a state championship.”

Their work has earned additional high praise from the players. Joseph Pizzo exclaimed, “We can always count on the ‘Cheesers’ getting after it from the sidelines.”

The varsity boys lacrosse team gets production from the top to the bottom of the roster, with underclassmen, such as Cullen O’Leary, Vince Fiore, and Jude Remmert, all over the scoresheet.

Led by seniors Anson Soscia, Chase Stewart, and Nilesh Naik, in addition to Self and Pizzo, the War Eagles were propelled by their avid fans in their run to win Region 5-6A.

Marist was 11-4 in the regular season, boasting a 7-2 record on their home turf inside of Hughes-Spalding Stadium. The Cheeseheads’ support was in full force when Marist scored at the buzzer to take out St. Pius on the Golden Lions’ senior night, which captured the region title for the War Eagles.

The goal scored by Vince Fiore confirmed the team’s ability to win in close games, as 6 of their 11 wins in the regular season came by two goals or less.

The team, led by Coach Zach Bazemore, finished with a record of 12-5 after losing in the second round of the state tournament to Lassiter 10-8.

The support of the Cheeseheads was unwavering and will be continued in future years. Support next spring will be led by Henry Utsch, the only junior Cheeshead this season.

Our school community is known for being great supporters of their own classmates, and the Cheeseheads are no exception. They were, indeed, a fine example.