Fervent community support grows for Deer Lakes during playoff run

By: Jerin Steele
Friday, March 15, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Deer Lakes and Forest Hills both wear green and gold, so Lancers coach Albie Fletcher wasn’t exactly sure what the supporter breakdown was when he first walked into the gym Wednesday night at Armstrong.

He quickly learned that the majority donning the colors were Deer Lakes supporters.

“I wasn’t sure if they split the fans on either side of the gym, but one of my assistants told me the fans behind our bench were all Deer Lakes people,” Fletcher said.

Deer Lakes fans took up three-quarters of the seats in the Armstrong gym.

That has become the norm at most venues, so expect another large contingent wearing green and gold Saturday at Sharon for Deer Lakes’ PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal game with District 10 runner-up Franklin.

The game tips at 2:30 p.m.

Most Lancers fans arrived Wednesday wearing the school colors outside of a robust student section that was dressed in black. The student section made its presence felt, most notably after a turnover by Forest Hills right in front of them.

After Deer Lakes finished off a 67-51 win, fans lined the walkway outside as the players boarded the bus.

The community’s support is not something the players take for granted.

“For a 3A school, we have the best fan section and the best showing of support every game,” Lancers senior guard Billy Schaeffer said. “Pound for pound, nobody competes with us throughout the state.”

The numbers back up Schaeffer’s claim.

After securing a second consecutive WPIAL title, Deer Lakes had a home game in the first round of the state tournament against Mercyhurst Prep, and the game was quickly sold out.

Fans showed up early to get in, and those who arrived a little later were left looking for parking spots beside the football field adjacent to the school.

The gym was bursting at the seams with people and was literally standing room only as some fans stood beside the grandstands.

It was a crowd of 950, which was the fourth-best attended Saturday first-round game in the state. The other four in the top five were Class 6A games.

“The support is just through the roof,” Fletcher said. “Everywhere these kids go, it’s like they are playing at home. It’s such a great community, and the following for these kids is awesome. I can’t even put it into words, but it’s awesome. It really is.”

The goal for the Lancers is to have the Deer Lakes faithful make travel plans to Hershey for a second straight year. If they get back to the state championship game, they know they will have plenty of supporters waiting for them when they arrive.

“If there’s 700 tickets for a game, our fans probably get 530 of them or more,” Deer Lakes senior Wayne Love said. “No matter where we’re playing, our community is going to travel, because they love what we do, and we love doing it for them.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Deer Lakes