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The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn - Simi Valley Acorn |
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Gang green
Waves of sound slowly begin to reverberate through the Thousand Oaks High gymnasium, getting louder with each interval. T.O.! (clap, clap), T.O.! (clap, clap) . . . It's early in the boys' basketball season, but the Marmonte League's most rabid, opportunistic and downright entertaining fans are beginning to make their presence felt. T.O.! (clap, clap), T.O.! (clap, clap) . . . As the volume level continues to rise, the Lancers slam home a dunk, sending the greenclad student section into a frenzy of excitement. The bleachers begin to bounce. T.O.! (clap, clap), T.O.! (clap, clap) . . .
"The Green Hole started in basketball about five years ago, and has just grown and grown," said Richard Endres, T.O.'s head boys' basketball coach for the past 11 seasons. "It's become a tradition at the school and has even started to spill into other sports. . . . "They are an enthusiastic group of kids that always makes their presence known. Some of the stuff they come up with is unbelievable." While Newbury Park High has the Black Hole and the students at Westlake High have formed The Tribe, neither section can match the sheer numbers, tenacity and wild attire that the Green Hole brings to an event, said TOHS junior Katie Chuh. "The Green Hole is the original," Chuh said. "Everyone else is just trying to catch up to us and copy us, but they can't compare to what we do." On Monday night at home, in the Lancers' Marmonte League opener against Royal High, the Green Hole let loose a potpourri of mind games on the Highlanders. Thirty minutes before tip-off, the Green Hole was already giving Royal's players an earful. When the Highlanders were introduced a little while later, the TOHS students read newspapers in unison, showing they had little interest in what was happening on the court. Using air balls as ammunition, the Green Hole later rode any Royal player that failed to draw iron on a shot attempt. The verbal assault continued every time the shooter touched the ball after his errant effort. "Air-ball! Air-ball!" they howled. As the Lancers prepared to wrap up a 65-25 victory over Royal, the TOHS students began to chant, "Just-like-foot-ball." For their final act of the night, members of the Green Hole shook car keys at their counterparts in the visiting stands. Translation: Start the bus. It's time to go home. Christian Lauterman, a Thousand Oaks senior who's been part of the Green Hole since his freshman year, said the taunting is all done in good taste. "We yell and stuff, but we never try and make it derogatory," Lauterman said. "It goes back and forth between the fans and players, but it's all done in good spirits." Lauterman said the TOHS students take pride in knowing they can impact a game, or even a referee's call. "We can make a difference, 100 percent we can," Lauterman said. "I'd say we've played a factor in the outcome of every game." Members of the Green Hole often congregate before tip-off to make sure they're all on the same page utilizing chants that night. Seniors typically dominate the front rows and organize the section. "Seniors get the front because it's their last year," Lauterman said. "After that it's the juniors, sophomores and the freshmen toward the back. It carries over from year to year." The Thousand Oaks players appreciate the enthusiasm the Green Hole provides. "They get us pumped for games," junior forward Chris Carter said. "We try and play our best for them because they come to every game, home or away, to support us. "I'm not surprised by what they say or do, but they can be very creative." Josh Bounds, a Thousand Oaks junior, said the Green Hole has no peer. "We'll go nuts- anytime, anywhere," Bounds said. "This is the best cheering section in all of the Conejo Valley. No doubt about it." |
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