It has been said among students, athletes and parents that WHS lacks a sense of school spirit and that student attendance at many sporting events has been poor. Many times bleachers are left empty, and gyms and fields are quiet. However, at a select few winter sporting events, senior Patrick Ryan boosted school spirit and hyped up crowds.
It was Feb. 23, a rivalry night as the boys basketball team took on Scotch Plains-Fanwood. The gym was sold out for the quarterfinal round of the sectional tournament. A season-ending game was on the line. Students from WHS and SPF filled the bleachers and leaked into the steps. Tensions were high. It was halftime, and students on the WHS side seemed to relax and grow confident in their Blue Devils.
That was all until a Blue Devil mascot ran across the court, jumping and waving his arms. The fans immediately rose and began cheering as WHS had not had a mascot at any sporting events in the last couple years. Ryan’s appearance in the Blue Devil mask delivered an infusion of energy that helped Westfield go on a 21–14 run in the third quarter.
“With everyone staring it’s kind of a weird feeling plus the fact you can barely see or breathe,” Ryan said. “It was a very crazy feeling. But the experience was great and I tried to just go with the flow of the crowd.”
The crowd ate up every minute and chant that Ryan started. The wave erupted throughout the student section as he hyped up every single person. The SPF side seemed to lose a sense of pride as its team fell behind and Ryan out-cheered them.
Ryan’s appearance at halftime came as a shock to everyone, and the surprise factor worked in his favor.
“At first it came as a joke with some friends but it slowly grew until Sandy [Mamary, the athletic director] overheard me talking about it and asked if I wanted to do it,” Ryan said. “And I couldn’t turn that down so I just did it and am happy I did.”
This wasn’t Ryan’s only appearance in the costume this year. Just a few days later, Ryan was back in action at the boys basketball sectional semifinal game against Newark East Side to infuse the same sense of energy.
Although the mascot does not appear often, its effect is monumental on the crowd and the games themselves.
Paige Gorczyca, a student attendee of the game, said, “He created an energetic environment for the students because we knew we needed to beat our rivals in a very exciting game. The Blue Devil impacted the crowd and the energy which really enhanced the performance of the players in order to compete and win.”
However, Ryan stated that he is unable to continue his job as the mascot in the spring season and he hopes that someone will be willing to take over.
Hopefully, someone can step up and fill the big shoes that need to be filled. The appeal to students to sign up may grow if the costume is updated from its current old-fashioned look. But for now, the man behind the mask is no longer a secret. Patrick Ryan is the WHS Blue Devil.
