Lippy Lunatics live up to their name in the best way
Most would think that a heat spike pushing the temperature into the triple digits would stop most student sections at a sports game. But on the night of August 29, that was not the case for the Lippy Lunatics.
As the Lipscomb Women’s Soccer team faced off against the Belmont Bruins for the historic Battle of the Boulevard, the Lippy Lunatics – Lipscomb’s student section – came out in force. Despite the temperature passing 100 degrees, the attendance nearly passed 600 as fans assembled to cheer on the Bisons.
The Lippy Lunatics came ready, bringing drums, cowbells, Lipscomb flags and school-spirit-colored smoke bombs. Determined to bring and keep the energy, the Lunatics stood and cheered from the starting lineup to the celebration after the game.
“[The turnout] was fantastic. I… honestly I’m at a loss for words,” said Lunatics President Jackson Gibree. The energy was upheld throughout the entire game, and was at a level that’s “never been done at a women’s soccer game in Lipscomb history,” said Gibree. “Everybody that was there was a part of something that’s a first for Lipscomb, and for Lipscomb women’s soccer. I think that will be one of the peak memories for a lot of people this year, especially for the team that was playing out there, to play in front of a crowd like that.”
As the teams took to the field, Gibree fired off a purple smoke bomb, and the Lunatics began their first chant.
“We love ya! We love ya! We love ya! ~ And where you go we’ll follow! We’ll follow! We’ll follow! ~ ‘Cause we support you Lipscomb! Lipscomb! Lipscomb! ~ And that’s the way we like it! We like it! We love it!“
“[The turnout] was more than what we’d hoped for,” said Lunatics Game-Day Director Tyler Jorden. “We knew coming in that this had the potential to be the biggest women’s soccer turnout we’ve ever had here, and it [still] exceeded our expectations.”
To stand all the way through a soccer period is an incredible commitment. To do it all the way through both periods is even more so. Unlike basketball, where students have the opportunity to sit and take breaks in between the four shorter quarters and during media timeouts, soccer consists of two 45 minute periods. That’s a long time to stay on your feet, and an even longer time to consistently cheer, chant, shout and scream in support of your team.
“The energy was high from start to finish, which is rare,” Gibree said. Even with some students leaving during halftime, the fans kept the energy level the entire game, refusing to let it drop even as the attendance did.
Belmont was the first to score a goal, roughly 16 and a half minutes into the game, but that only made the Lunatics cheer harder. A little over two minutes later, Lipscomb Senior Midfielder Kiara Pralle answered the Lunatics by putting the ball through for a goal. The student section exploded, setting off another smoke bomb – this one yellow – and screaming until they were hoarse.
The Lunatics kept going with chant after chant, many of which the leadership of Lunatics had written themselves over the past two years. Some were rewritten professional chants, others were put to the tune of songs, such as one to the tune of “Yankee Doodle.”
The first half of the game ended tied, 1-1, and the Lunatics sat and rested their feet during halftime. Some students left then, but many stayed, and brought the energy right back at the start of the second period.
“We have this saying in the Lunatics,” Jorden smiled. “When we started it was all about hitting the moon and I think at this point we’ve hit the moon and we’re headed for Mars.”
Responding to the enthusiasm and support in the student section, the Bisons scored another goal ten minutes in, this time by Graduate Midfielder Faith Adams. The students exploded, jumping up and down. The Bisons now led the Bruins 2-1, and would only continue to grow their lead.
“The Lunatics have genuinely surpassed my expectations,” Gibree said. “It’s gone a lot farther than I’d thought it would in two years. I’d thought this would be the four year mark, not the two year mark… There is no limit on what the Lunatics are gonna be able to do in the next two years, and beyond.”
The students proved Gibree right, keeping the energy “10 out of 10,” said Gibree. Pralle took the Bison’s lead still further, scoring another goal toward the end of the period. The Lunatics cheered to the beats of drums and cowbells under a cloud of more yellow smoke.
When the second period was over, the Bisons had beat the Bruins 3-1, and the Lunatics had been standing and cheering for over an hour and a half. Running over toward the stands, the team cheered and danced with the Lunatics, celebrating the win of the Boulevard.
Several players came up to Jorden after the game, as did the assistant coach, to thank the Lunatics for their support. “The assistant coach [told me] they’ve never had anything like that before,” Jorden said. “The turning point for them was just seeing our support… that we were still cheering when they were losing was something that they haven’t experienced before.”
The Lunatics continues to grow as a student section, and engagement continues to rise. “We’re going to keep on going and keep on pushing and try to make this one of the coolest things in the country and one of the best things at Lipscomb,” Gibree said. Though there will surely be challenges on the road ahead, the Lunatics remain confident. “We’re going to attack them as they come,” Gibree remarked.
When one of the first games of the school year starts off so strong, it sets a precedent for the rest of the year. “We’re beyond the moon now,” Gibree said with a smile, referring to the Lunatics original saying. “We’re doing something that’s never been done.”
Jorden finished his interview with a challenge to the student body. “If you’re a student [reading] this, keep coming to games!”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics.
