Proud to be a Hillie

Hillie fans displayed their pride in the school and team on Tuesday night when the Haverhill High boys basketball team played Lawrence.

It didn't matter if you were a student, an alumnus or just a resident of Haverhill. It didn't matter if you had been to hundreds of Hillie sporting events, or if the night's game was your first. At Tuesday's Haverhill High School boys basketball game, everyone was a Hillie. Well, except for the fans of the visiting Lawrence Lancers.

Tuesday night was the school's first Hillie Pride Night, aimed at electrifying Hillie spirit for fans of all ages.

The event was a collaboration between the Haverhill Athletic Department and Team Haverhill, a prominent volunteer organization in the city.

At the organization's Possible Dreams forum last week, Athletic Director Garin Veris spoke to the crowd and asked the 120 guests present if anyone had been to a Hillie athletic event in the last year. Only a few lonely hands raised from the crowd.

Following the event, Team Haverhill leaders pledged their support, asking Veris if they could help raise money to reduce user fees for the student-athletes at the school. Their first plan, however, was to join and raise some school spirit in the student body and the city has a whole.

Despite the Hillies' 63-75 loss to Lawrence Tuesday night, the effort off the court seemed to be a success, as students donned 400 gold "Hillie Pride" T-shirts to brighten the crowd. The shirts were a gift from Team Haverhill.