Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Dawg boy? You’re not alone. Only five senior boys every year are chosen to fill the role of Dawg Boy. If you don’t know what a Dawg Boy is, you should know that they are senior guys at Grandville High School who paint either a D, and A, a W or a G or s on their chest at Varsity Football games and cheer with the cheerleaders.

Dylan Shipman, this year’s “D”, talked about how he has always wanted to do this, and will miss cheering on his high school football team every Friday night. Dylan said, “it was something I’ve always wanted to do so going out there for the first time was a real blast.” Ever since Dylan saw his first Grandville football game and saw the Dawg Boys on the field cheering on the team, he has knew he would be apart of that someday.

This year filling the spot for the letter “A” was Evan Shirley. Evan talked about how much love he has for this school, and how much he is going to miss being in front of the student section every Friday night getting the fans on their feet. Evan said, “I’m going to miss getting in front of the student section before every game, and screaming the cheer, ‘I believe that we will win!’ “. Before every game starts the Dawg Boys get on the rail in front of the student section, and chant, “I believe that we will win!” It’s a tradition at Grandville that has been used to show our school spirit, and to get our football team pumped up for their game.

Moving on to this year’s “W”, Brock Walker and how unforgettable it was to be able to walk on the field of the Big House. Brock said, “Being at the big house, on the field, with everybody cheering, is something I will always remember.” Brock will be reminded of this day every time he turns on a Michigan game and sees the Big House Stadium.

After speaking with Cal Kryska, this year’s “G”, I was able to understand what his first experience as a Dawg Boy was like. Cal claimed, “The atmosphere that the GHS students created was truly fascinating. It was an honor to be a part of something bigger than just football.” Cal was proud to be apart of helping the student section get on their feet and cheer on our football team.

Now for me, the “S”, Collin McCloughan, I am so grateful to be a part of this, and I will keep these memories with me for the rest of my life. Being able to get in front of my fellow classmates on a Friday night and get them hype to watch our football team play was one of the best things I will remember from my high school years. 

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a dawg boy, get out and give it a shot, you’ll have the time of your life. You only get one opportunity at it so have fun and cheer on your football team. Memories like this are stories that you will have to tell for the rest of your life.