Encouraging signs as fans return to cheer on their favorite high school teams

The biggest crowd of the season was on hand Friday at Ryan Lemmon Stadium for a CIF playoff game. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

COMMENTARY

Fans are coming back to high school sports and that’s great to see.

At three events last week in Orange County, the fans were very much a part of the events, showing great support for their teams.

Tuesday night, they showed up in big numbers to the Crean Lutheran gymnasium for the CIF playoff boys basketball game between Crean Lutheran and Culver City.

A day later, there was an excellent turnout for the Century-Crean Lutheran CIF playoff baseball game in Santa Ana and on Friday, more fans showed up at Ryan Lemmon Stadium for the baseball playoff game between Woodbridge and Fullerton.

Both Woodbridge and Fullerton were well represented at the ball park.

“It’s kind of back to normal, it was fun, I’m glad we had the opportunity to play it at home,” said Woodbridge baseball coach Ryan Brucker.

It looks like there have been other great turnouts throughout the county for the CIF playoffs as coronavirus cases continue to decline and more people are vaccinated.

Angel Stadium is scheduled to allow full capacity at games soon.

It’s in stark contrast to the past few months, when attendance was very much limited and the crowds were sparse due to the pandemic.

For a boys basketball game in the county, an athletic director had to turn away students who weren’t on a designated list to attend the game. The students, who came to support their team, were disappointed, but the athletic director was doing his job and following guidelines.

While there was a reason most fans couldn’t attend football games, it definitely wasn’t the same without the stands packed, all part of the atmopshere on Friday nights.

The fans are very much a part of high school sports, and sporting events are much more fun with them. Most importantly, the parents get to see their sons and daughters play during their high school careers which most parents will likely tell you goes by all too quickly.

“The energy at the field was outstanding,” CdM baseball coach Kevin McCaffrey said after his team’s opening round playoff home win Friday. “That atmosphere is what playoff baseball is all about.”

—-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com