Small-town football a tradition for members of SAE

Mark Pleiss

Lifestyles Editor

On a clear, dark evening in Greenfield, Iowa, the visitingstudents of Griswold High School had little to cheer for. Theirfootball team was being executed in blow out fashion, right beforetheir very eyes.

That’s when it happened.

Though few remember how the football got into the end zone thatbeautiful evening, all will agree that once it did, the hometowncrowd of Greenfield sat in silence, watching.

There before them stood an army of roaring students, insanelyapplauding the visitor’s only touchdown of the evening with theirblue and white colors showing proudly like the crosses of medievalcrusaders.

Any one of the bewildered Greendfield fans must have respectedthe visitors, not only because these crazy fans didn’t actuallyattend Griswold High School, but because they were actuallystudents from Simpson College.

This magical evening exemplifies what the rambunctiousfraternity boys of Sigma Alpha Eplison like to call “small-townfootball.” It is a time when they get together and arrive at asmall, division I-A high school dressed in the visiting team’scolors (along with other festive gear) and cheer with shamelessaccord.

Small-town football antics include doing pushups when thevisiting team scores, constant harassment of the other team and adying, screaming passion for the team they support. It began in thelate ’90s, and has grown into a legacy that SAE members have beenproud to be apart of.

“Small-town football is a good social event that allows all thebrothers to get together and have some fun,” said senior Jake Abel,president of SAE. “Sadly, we usually come out on the losingend.”

Nevertheless, the boys are beginning to become notoriousthroughout small-school Iowa. People are beginning to catch ontotheir work and recognize them.

“One of the most rewarding moments of small-town football waswhen a young man, all the way from Central Decatur, came knockingat my door and personally asked us for help at their next awaygame,” senior Sam Skalland said.

Small-town football doesn’t discriminate athletically either.They also cheer on at basketball games and have big plans forattending women’s volleyball matches.

“We usually double the number of fans the home crowd has attheir games,” Abel said. “First we find out what the visitingteam’s colors are. Then we go to the Goodwill. We wear a lot offace paint and other flare because we are all about the visitors. Ithink it’s funny that when we first arrive, most people hate usbecause they think we’re from the home school and are making fun ofthe visitors. But once they see we’re in it for the long haul andthey see our passion for the visiting team, they know what we’reall about.”