SoCal Student Section of the Week for Week 2: Bishop Amat Dawgpound

Just because your team lost, doesn’t disqualify you from the SoCal Student Section voting poll.

Two of the best student sections went all out despite the loss on the field while two other student sections got a win in the stands and the football field.

In the end, it was a student section that had been a powerhouse for the last several years, but disappeared last season.

Let’s meet the finalists.

The Eagles Nest of Santa Margarita of Rancho Santa Margarita came in as the Orange County rep after soaring in the stands in a tough loss to Cherry Creek of Colorado. This student section packs the stands with their creative chants. This is a very consistent student section.

Making their second appearance to the finalists stage is the Carlsbad Loud Crowd repping San Diego. This is a very colorful student section, primarily the color purple. The Lancers go all out with the loud noise, the dancing, the fog machine, the baby powder and the cheers. One of my favorites and I’m sure they’ll win the SoCal award soon.

The Centennial Dawgpound came very close to taking the SoCal Student Section of the Week award with a nice comeback in the voting poll, coming as close as four percent of the vote. The Dawgpound came in hot when their Huskies took on NorCal powerhouse Pittsburg. Centennial of Corona won and the Dawgpound was loud the entire night. One of the top student sections in the Inland Empire.

While the Centennial Dawgpound fell short by a close margin, this Dawgpound took the cake.

Bishop Amat of La Puente has always had the loudest and most electric student section for the last several seasons, but they basically took the year off last season. Very rare for a student section that big to just go into hiding.

The Dawgpound came back this season and has shown up against two Trinity League opponents. The Lancers lost to Mater Dei of Santa Ana…well actually they won by way of forfeit after the Monarchs used an ineligible player.

Bishop Amat didn’t want to lose to another Trinity League team on the field and they almost didn’t. The Lancers were down 21-7 at halftime, but they came back. Momentum changed and when you have a student section as insane as the Dawgpound, you’re going to have a hard time getting that momentum back.

JSerra of San Juan Capistrano won 21-20 after Bishop Amat went fearless going for two. The conversion was no good, but the football squad let everyone know that they are the real deal and the student section let everyone know they’re back and that is why the Bishop Amat Dawgpound is the Southern California Student Section of the Week for Week 2.

We spoke with the Dawgpound on what it took to take the SoCal title this week.

You guys are the Week Two So Cal Student Section of the week, beating out the Centennial Dawgpound,  Carlsbad Loud Crowd and Santa Margarita Eagles Nest. What did it take to stand out as one of the best in Southern California?

Dawgpound: To stand out from the rest of the other Southern California student sections, it took dedication. As a team, we had to bring back something we had lost last year, spirit. We had to show our classmates that we still have what it takes to bring the dawg pound back & have fun!!

What is your most memorable game you have ever attended as a member of the student section?

Dawgpound: Freshman year, almost every game was hyped and everyone was having fun. This year, our last game against JSerra, was one of the best! We stayed loud the whole time cheering for our team and then coming back into the game kept the crowd loud which is what made it so much fun. During the second quarter, when we were down 7- 21, the power went out within the stadium causing a delay but luckily our speakers were still going. Within the 10 minute delay, we were able to play pumped up music, turn our flashes on on our phones, and get everyone hyped up which allowed a boost for our boys on the field.

Favorite theme?

Dawgpound: Black out, one of the best themes that people cooperate with and it looks so cool throwing up a contrasting color powder during the game!

Favorite chant?

Dawgpound: The “I believe” chant. This is a favorite because it starts off slow and steadily gets faster till the end when everyone is yelling and throwing up the powder at the same time.

What’s your least favorite chant that you hear from the other side of the stadium/gym?

Dawgpound: None, when we are cheering during a game, none of the other chants are even noticed.

Outside of you guys, is there one student section that you have seen or heard about where you think, “Man, that is a good student section?”

Dawgpound: A time we can all agree on that made us go “Man, that is a good student section” was our freshman year, 2015-2016, when Mikiah Azarcon and Michael Vaca lead our Dawg Pound. They knew how to control the crowd and keep it alive while making sure everyone was safe. Deciding to bring back our school spirit, we have all been inspired by them to guide that excitement back within our student body and that needed support for our boys under our Friday Night Lights.