As the 2026-27 school year approaches, Friday nights are soon to become a lot more lively in Cornell Stadium. With the start of football and the kickoff to the athletics season, the Euclid Entourage will be back in full force under new leadership.
The Euclid Entourage, or the EE, is the student section of Hayes. Students from every grade come together to support the Pacer teams during various sporting events by organizing themes, coordinating cheers and being a high-energy group.
The section is led by four senior leaders who are dedicated to participating and supporting the heart of Hayes.
“An EE leader is someone that has a lot of Pacer pride that basically bleeds orange and black,” current leader Berkley Smith said. “[Leaders] should be very spirited, outgoing, and fun; [that way] the student section will have a lot of energy.”
When transitioning into a new school year, past leaders create an application process for incoming seniors. From there, the applications are reviewed and new leaders are chosen.
“We went through and looked at who would best qualify to be a leader,” Smith said. “[We looked at their] personality and if they showed up to games consistently.”
For the upcoming school year, juniors Cash Farahay, Gavin Graham, Graham Hursey and Ella McMahon were selected and announced as the new EE leaders.
The four chose to apply, as it has been something they have been looking forward to ever since they began high school.
“Ever since my freshman year, I knew [being a leader] is what I wanted to do,” Farahay said. “I love my school, I love all of my friends, and it’s just cool to be able to say that you lead the student section for your school.”
After being selected, McMahon and the others emphasized the importance of building bonds with each other.
“We want to be really good friends,” McMahon said. “In the past years, there have been some leaders with a disconnect. We just want to make sure that we are one unit for the section.”
Taking this into consideration, the group has already come together to begin preparing for the upcoming year.
“We have started making shirt designs for next year,” Graham said. “[We have also] started going over some of the new chants and themes that we want to implement.”
The group has decided that several of the EE traditions will be kept. These customs include the helmet one of the leaders gets to wear every game, the push-up board, popular chants, and themes like farmer appreciation for the Buckeye Valley rival games.
However, the group hopes to bring back several old traditions like the Pacer Express at halftime and the student section flags.
“We are going to try to bring back the [student section] flags this year,” Farahay said. “I feel like whoever had the flags [in previous years] enjoyed them and had a good time.”
While McMahon states that the Pacer Express acts as a roller coaster lead by one of the leaders. Bringing the Express back would allow for energy to stay high in the section during half at a game.
The four have also brainstormed some new ideas for the section, with hopes the ideas will become a reality.
With these new implementations, the group wants to spark interest and gain more students in the section.
“[Our] goals for the EE are to have more people come out and participate than there has ever been,” Farahay said. “No matter [how the Pacers play], I want people to have as much fun as they can.”
The EE is a place where students have the opportunity to be social with each other and enjoy Hayes athletics.
“Students should be a part of the EE because it’s a great place to socialize with new people and cheer on your friends on the field or court,” Hursey said.
All in all, the new EE leaders are beginning to prepare for the upcoming athletics season in order to promote student life, gain more engagement from students, and empower school spirit.
“Hayes is the place to be, and students should want to be [in the section] because they can have a lot of fun,” McMahon said.
