The name “Knightmares” originated in the ’89-’90 school year from a creative group of students showing up to basketball games. This name has evolved and grown stronger over the years. Today, it stands for pride, encouragement, and leadership not only in school settings, but in the community overall. From progressing over the years, the Knightmares are ready to adapt into something bigger and extend its mighty qualities onto different aspects.
Just as a “Knight” is strengthened by the support of its “mare” (or horse), an athlete finds fortitude within the empowerment of its fans. Not only do the Knightmares uplift our athletes, but they remind us of what it means to be a Knight. Their task is to show up and push Lincoln-Way Central teams into their full potential for ultimate success. Motivation, encouragement, and support are just some of the overflowing characteristics present in the atmosphere of students. Overwhelming participation is not only shown throughout auditive cheering, but within apparel as well. Creative themes are constructed by students to rally excitement which stimulates a supporting environment.
This year will be even stronger – throughout the ’24-’25 academic year, the Knightmares will extend the power of encouragement onto the sports which receive less attention. Every team deserves to be represented by proud fans and feel the strength derived from motivation. To achieve this, the Knightmares have been extending social media connectivity and bringing more students into our participative atmosphere. Many students, specifically the senior class, have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that our Knight Pride is displayed effectively. To describe their aspirations thus far, the sponsor of the Knightmares with a major role in the athletic and football community, Mr. Napier, shares, “We want to get students out to ALL sports, not just the big ones like football and basketball. We have started to utilize many different social media platforms to communicate as well as promote and entertain students who maybe do not know what we do or have attended an athletic event in the past.” Another objective of the Knightmares this year is to extend Knight pride onto aspects outside of school while communicating a message of resilience. Most recently, the Knightmares have organized a Pediatric Cancer Toy Drive this year to instill hope and courage to not only students, but into our community as well.
All in all, the Knightmares reflect the significance of togetherness and exhibit the power of showing up. Mr. Napier shares this advice with students, “Go to the games, not only the big sports, but all sports. Bring your friends, dress for the themes, participate in the chants, understand the rules of the sport. We want everyone to know that we have the best fans around and show our community our Knight Pride. Our energy is contagious!” The thrilling feel of the high energy from team victories is something unforgettable and worth experiencing. Knightmares, let’s keep this going!
