By Cara Spilsbury
The first ever Hillie Pride Night could've had a better result on the scoreboard, as Haverhill High School fell to Lawrence 63-75.
But the action off the court, the electricity and excitement in the stands, was a rousing success.
It was everything that Haverhill High Athletic Director Garin Veris and Team Haverhill leaders could have hoped for when they decided last week to collaborate on a Hillie Pride Night.
Four-hundred fans were given bright gold "Hille Pride" T-shirts. Many of those Hillie faithful were students who cheered rabidly on their feet well into the fourth quarter. Others sporting the evening's signature color were parents, diehard fans from the community, former players, former students, or those attending a Haverhill High sporting event for the first time. All were the targets of Hillie Pride Night.
"This is a much bigger crowd than we usually have," said Veris, who wore his Hillie Pride tee proudly. "With the gold T-shirts everywhere, it's great. We've had those from the older generation getting shirts, and even little kids wearing the shirts down to their ankles. It's great to be a part of this and to create some excitement at Haverhill High."
For new and returning fans, the teams put on a show.
At the half, the Hillies had fought back to within 3 points, trailing the Lancers 36-39.
But Lawrence returned in the second half ready to assert their dominance once more. In a flash, five minutes had passed on the game clock and the Hillies had only managed 2 points.
The teams played aggressively the entire night, despite the Lancers holding steady with a 15- to 20-point lead. The dueling crowd noise from the Hillie fans and the Lancers fans gave the game a playoff feel.
The game also had a carnival feel. One fan, sporting the signature glowing gold of Hillie Pride night, walked away with $72 from a 50/50 raffle. Two students at half-time won a basketball shoot-out and went home with a new iPod, courtesy of Team Haverhill.
It was the first Haverhill High game for a few members of Team Haverhill, like Eric Karlstad, Lisa Marzilli and Jeff Grassie, who were inspired to attend by Veris' speech at the Possible Dreams event.
"There's a lot of energy," Karlstad said of the game and the atmosphere.
For others in the stands, Hillie Pride describes many experiences at the school.
Karen Chernesky, a retired member of the Haverhill High School staff, attends most of the home Hillie basketball games, boys and girls.
"The boys are playing well," she said. "There's a lot of intensity here tonight."
Hillie Pride Night was also appreciated by the student body in attendance.
"We have a lot of pride," said junior Eden MacDougall. "But we used to have a lot more, so we're trying to bring it back this year."
"And it was just one dollar for a shirt and a ticket," said sophomore Connor Tufts, the bearer of the loud drum at each home game.
Looking around the gymnasium from the midst of the student section, Haverhill students were thrilled with the support from the community.
"It's fun that everyone involved has a lot of Haverhill pride," MacDougall said.
