A Myers Park tradition: What makes the Mustangs’ fan base Charlotte area’s best?
William Shaw and Addie Cornwall were dressed for the occasion.
In this case, that meant sunglasses, a bow tie, and face paint for William — all in red, white and blue.
For Addie, it meant a cowboy hat and face paint — also, of course, in red, white and blue.
“That’s the theme for tonight,” Shaw said. “We’re gonna be loud.”
First, a little explanation.
Shaw and Cornwall are high school seniors, members of the highly organized and loud student section at Myers Park High School.
That cheering section — and the adults who support it — are a big reason why Myers Park has won The Observer’s poll, conducted late last month, to determine which high school has the best. More than 120,000 votes were counted.
But it doesn’t start with Shaw and Cornwall.
In the parking lot
It actually begins a few hours before each Myers Park High home football game. Two of the parking lots outside Gus Purcell Stadium are hangouts for the tailgating crowd, and it’s a busy place before kickoff.
Some of them are alumni.
“Actually, I think there are quite a few Myers Park alumni whose children also attend the school,” said Don Jonas.
Jonas and his wife Debbie fit that description. Their son, Finn, plays varsity football for the Mustangs. Daughter Mary Elizabeth was a cheerleader before graduating, and son Henry played football at Myers Park before moving on to Appalachian State.
“There’s a lot of alumni pride here,” Debbie Jonas said. “We’ve been tailgating since the kids started going here.”
Don said the pregame atmosphere is a part of the fun.
“The band comes by, and there’s a lot of excitement,” he said. “There’s a lot of spirit at this school.”
Some of the tailgaters are relative newcomers.
Susan Lueders, Meritt Schoening and Heather Moss were born in the Midwest, but their children play football for the Mustangs, and they help stage a rather elaborate tailgating party before every game.
“We’re all transplants,” Lueders said.
“So for a lot of us, this has become our home school,” Moss added.
Schoening said the parents have become close.
“Our kids have gone through middle school together, and now high school,” she said. “It’s seven or eight years.”
She said the atmosphere at a Myers Park game is exciting.
“There’s so much spirit here,” she said. “It’s contagious. When the season is over, I get depressed.”
In the stands … and on the hill
But the heart of the Myers Park fan support system is the student body. Hundreds of students fill the stands at home games and some road contests, such as the Mustangs’ season opener at Memorial Stadium, where students packed one section of stands — clad in all white.
“That was White Out Night,” Shaw said.
He and Cornwall, both seniors, said the Student Government Association picks a theme for each home game and special road contests. For a recent Thursday night game against Ardrey Kell, it was a red, white and blue theme.
Many schools have student body theme nights. Few equal Myers Park’s group in exuberance.
Students fill the main section of stands, with a special pecking order — seniors at the bottom, then juniors, then sophomores, and then …
Well, freshmen in the past had to congregate on a nearby rise, which became known as Freshman Hill. A recent order from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that all students must be seated during games has squashed the Freshman Hill tradition.
“So we have some rows at the top of the stands,” freshman Kimberly Lloyd said. “It’s fun, and it gets loud.”
By the second quarter of Thursday’s game, a group of freshmen had reclaimed a part of their hill.
Everyone gets support
Myers Park students say they back more than just the football team.
“Have you ever been to one of our basketball games?” asked Shaw, referring to the high-decibel support that the Mustangs get during the winter. “We’ve even got a group that turns out and gets loud at soccer matches and baseball games.”
One girl said she was a student at South Mecklenburg but still went to Myers Park games with a group of friends who were Mustang students.
“It’s a lot of fun here,” she said.
Sitting at one end of the home stands Thursday night was Robert Green Horsley, Class of 1982 at Myers Park. Horsley was a tight end and captain of the 1981 Mustang football team. He tries to come to every game.
“We are loyal to the school,” he said. “That’s a common trait for Myers Park alumni.”
Horsley was at the game with his wife, Kenitra, and 3-year-old daughter Harper.
“There’s a really nice family atmosphere here,” he said.
At the nearby Swag Wagon, where Myers Park sweatshirts and hats are big-sellers, parent volunteer Shannon Ackerman said they stay busy during games.
“Most of the customers are adults,” she said. “And many of them are alumni. They want to show their spirit.”
Through thick and thin
This has not been a good season for Myers Park football. The Mustangs are 2-5, which included a 40-9 Thursday night setback against Ardrey Kell.
“You’d never know that from the fans,” said Rebecca Reco, another of those tailgaters. “Winning or losing, we’re always here and supportive.”
Another parent, Myers Park alum Leigh Sharpe, added, “We’re always going to be here. That’s what Myers Park fans do.”
Sitting at the top of the stands, parent Geralyn McCourt watched the student section cheering below her.
“You know, the last two years have been really tough for these kids,” she said. “They had to deal with COVID, and they lost the social aspect of two important years.”
“This is the first year when they’ve been able to enjoy the full high school experience,” McCourt added. “They’re trying to make the most of it.”
Fan Poll Winners
In September, The Observer ran a poll to allow readers to determine the best fans in each of the counties it covers. More than 120,000 votes were counted. Myers Park had more votes than other school and was the overall winner. Here are the county winners
Mecklenburg Public: Myers Park
Mecklenburg Private: Charlotte Country Day
Burke County: East Burke
Cabarrus County: Central Cabarrus
Caldwell County: South Caldwell
Catawba County: Bandys
Cleveland County: Kings Mountain
Gaston County: South Point
Iredell: North Iredell
Lincoln County: East Lincoln
Rowan County: West Rowan
Rutherford County: East Rutherford
Single County Schools (Alexander, Anson, Richmond, Watauga): Alexander
Stanly County: North Stanly
Union County: Weddington
PHOTOS: Myers Park fans
