“All aboard the Redhawk Express!” senior Josh McMillan yells to the crowd. “Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-AH!-AH!-AH! Ch-ch-ch-ch-AH!-ch-AH!-ch-AH!”

Near the end of halftime at each Varsity football game, the Redhawk Rowdies chant one of their most famous cheers, the Redhawk Express. This cheer simulates a mixture between a train taking off from a station and a roller coaster. During the cheer the crowd screams wildly as it follows the conductor’s lead.

Game attendees enjoy this cheer and some contrast the experience with last year’s Rowdy section who saw it as an embarrassment.

“I think the [Rowdies of 2010] failed to show up every game,” senior Jim Barry said. “They did a bad job of communicating with the younger grades, like not inviting them and making them feel welcome. We have a lot of friends on the football team and we want to show up and support them.”

McMillan said that the key to the Rowdies’ success this year is taking pride in their team but also having fun with it. The Rowdies also dress up in costumes on game days and even wear them during school.

Some Rowdies are difficult to miss, such as Barry who wears a “Where’s Waldo?” outfit or McMillan who dresses as the famed video game character Mario. Senior Matt Churik also dresses in costume to show school pride.

“Gandalf the Red was an idea that Jim Barry came up with and gave to me,” said Churik. “I really liked the idea because it went along with the cheer ‘you shall not pass.’ I just thought it was a really fun idea to dress up red and white and have a good time cheering on my Redhawks.”

Another change is the amount of cheers the Rowdies added to their arsenal this year. They are using many new cheers as well as ones from last year to use throughout the game, McMillan said.

This year’s success is due to organization of events on Facebook and use of a megaphone to lead cheers during games, Barry said.

The Rowdies tailgate in the visitor’s parking lot before home Varsity games.

“We have been doing the tailgate at about 5:45 or 6 p.m.,” said McMillan. “It lasts to about 6:30 and it’s just where everybody gathers before the game. We grill hotdogs, hamburgers, have some drinks and then pack up and all head out as a Rowdie section into the game together.”

They arrive as a group at 7 p.m. to get seats in the student section.

Although many Rowdy leaders are seniors, they allow underclassmen to join in every aspect of what they do.

“The seniors control what the student section does, but everyone participates equally,” junior Amy Papesh said. “The seniors start off what we are supposed to do, and then we follow.”

This new attitude is being recognized by people outside of Central students. Senior Jack Coakley said the Rowdies received many words of praise from parents on their performance in cheering on the football team.

The student section is typically organized, although it may seem otherwise.

“It’s a safe display of school spirit and were just trying to encourage the team and not disrupt anybody-teachers or parents, so I think we have done a good job with that,” Churik said.

Varsity football player and senior Ross Murphy said that the Rowdies are a source of motivation to play the game.

“When you go out there and the whole crowd is jumping around, yelling and screaming and hating on the other student section, you feel like you have to win this game for them,” Murphy said.

McMillan believes that the cheering will never cease this season because it is guaranteed that the first three rows of the student section will be at every game including away games this year.

The fans also intend to attend all home and away basketball games this year, senior Tim O’Halloran said.

While the players run out on to the field every Friday night, the Rowdies are sure to be there cheering them on, determined to make their student section the best one Central will ever have.