Video: The Warhawks' Sixth Man

Deft and agile as the five men on the floor may be, it's hard to go to a Madison High School basketball game and not notice the other man--the sixth man, wider than the length of the court, taller than the stories-high bleachers, and, though acting as one, several hundred screaming "men" strong.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to say that this sixth man, the Warhawks student cheering section, has earned more attention across the Liberty District than the team itself. They show up in droves to home and away games alike, a red and black mob with dyed hair and painted faces. Stomping, hooping and hollering in near-perfectly coordinated cheers and beats, they elicit at least a few dropped jaws from opposing teams and fans every game.

"When we were at TJ ... a couple coaches came over to me and said ... 'We've never seen anything like that," said senior Matt Zimpleman, one of the section's student organizers.

But it wasn't always like that, says senior Kenzie Duffy, another organizer of the group. Last year, the Warhawks won only one game, so it was a struggle to get any student support -- even from outgoing seniors.

This year, Zimpleman and senior Thomas Curley, along with Duffy and senior Sloan Tison, wanted to do things differently. They banded on Facebook, posting videos of cheers and giving instructions to the Warhawk faithful before each game.

Over the course of the season, their efforts began to show. More students showed up to join the sixth man; players gave positive feedback. Tison said the section's support may have given the team edge in big games like the Warhawks win over Oakton earlier this year, when the sixth man rushed the court at the end of the game and Tison saw "tears on our boys' faces."

"It's really cool to just see the whole school come together to support our school and be proud to be Warhawks.That's one of the things we've really been trying to do this year," Duffy said.

The team, much improved from last year's season, finished at 7-14 overall this year . But what the sixth man did for Madison's student body this year and in the years to come is more valuable than any records or statistics, the students say.

"We have tons of freshman and sophomores so I don't think this is anything that's going to die out any time soon," Duffy said. "It's definitely a legacy they can carry on."

To watch a video of the Sixth Man, click on the image in the box to the right. Catch a glimpse of the Sixth Man in action Tuesday night, as the Warhawks travel to Fairfax High for a 5:45 p.m. tip-off in the first round of the Liberty District Tournament.