“Country roads, take me home,” the crowd on the bleachers sang during the final seconds of a basketball game against Los Altos High School. They jumped and yelled when the scoreboard indicated a win for the Gunn Titans—all in a day’s work for the 6th Man Club.

The name “6th Man” originated from basketball; there are five people on the court during a game, so the “6th man” refers to the cheering crowds. The club is a collaborative fanbase that cheers for Gunn athletes and brings school spirit to the games. Senior Jimmy Farley is the Sports Commissioner and leader of the club. “[We give] unconditional love to everyone who’s on the court or the field,” he said.

Junior Aidan Everett has been an active participant in 6th Man since his freshman year. “To me, [the 6th Man Club] means that people can come together and share a common hobby and cheer on their friends and classmates,” he said. “They can show their enthusiasm towards the sport, the school, the players and the coaches.”

Farley and Everett manage the Instagram page, @gunn6thman, to post about upcoming games and events, score updates and dress-up themes. Themes include Crazy Costumes, Halloween, USA and Holiday. One of the traditions is Silent Night, where the crowd stays silent until the 10th point.

Chanting, “Let’s go, Titans!” and wiggling fingers quietly are just a few ways the club encourages the athletes. “I love cheering,” Everett said. “Even though I’m not playing, I get this huge adrenaline rush. I love supporting my friends and cheering on the teams. You’re having so much fun regardless if you’re winning or losing that you just don’t want to stop.” Everett will be leading the club next year and hopes more students join in. “I think a huge, huge reason why people should go support and be a part of the 6th Man is because you get that little extra happiness inside because you know that you’re doing something positive for the school,” Everett said.

Varsity basketball player senior Connor Page is grateful for the support that the 6th Man gave the team all season. “It was such a nice experience getting to see them,” Page said. “It just makes the games—I’m not even kidding—10 times better.” Everett enjoys encouraging the athletes by cheering loudly. “I mainly just make sure that the players’ heads are up and are confident in themselves and not get discouraged if they screw up,” he said.

Page believes that the club’s energy helped the basketball team make Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) this season. “There’s no way we would have been [at CCS] without the 6th Man,” Page said. “At the end of the day, if there were no 6th Man, we would be able to go out and play but we wouldn’t enjoy it as much. [The cheering] gives you something to play for. It gives you so much more energy and another reason to win.”

Anyone is able to join the club. People can receive updates on athletic games and special events by joining the 6th Man Facebook group or following the Instagram page. “I think a lot of people do get scared about coming to games,” Farley said. “But we try and make it clear that if you’re going to come and you’re going to show energy, we’re going to love you unconditionally.”