Published: November 09, 2009 12:50 am      

Fans make a impact for Danville

OAK LAWN — OAK LAWN — For those people that believe Danville is dying as a town, you did not make the trip north to Oak Lawn on Saturday night.

Seven buses left Danville High School on Saturday with a destination of Harold Richards High School in Oak Lawn.

When it was all said and done, the Danville Vikings had more than 600 fans on their side of the field, while the Richards Bulldogs had a very respectable 1,200.

Despite being outnumbered, the fans clad in the Maroon and White showed that Danville is alive and well, and kicking tail.

The Vikings used their support to rally and beat the Bulldogs 30-20 in a second-round Class 6A playoff contest.

“Our crowd was amazing,’’ said Danville senior offensive lineman Alex Janssen. “On the field, it sounded like our crowd was louder.’’

The real benefit of having several hundred fans and their band in attendance was seen in the second half.

Danville went into the lockerroom at halftime with lowered heads as the Vikings trailed the Bulldogs 20-10.

But, as head coach B.J. Luke pointed out, Danville supporters kept the faith.

“It wasn’t any of that, ‘what is wrong with you’ stuff,’’ Luke said. “They were all telling us that, ‘you can do it.’

“Our kids like knowing that people care about them.’’

That was evident before the game even kicked off.

Danville fans were lined up at the gates, spilling into the parking lot and forcing Richards’ officials to open the gates early.

“That is as good of a crowd that I’ve seen for a game 2½ hours away,’’ said Luke, a graduate of Danville High. “For our community to come out like that, and support the kids — that is pretty incredible.’’

While nearly everyone in the Danville locker room after the game was crediting the fans wearing the maroon and white, Richards coach Tony Sheehan didn’t agree.

“The crowd wasn’t a factor, it didn’t matter,’’ he said. “Our kids didn’t know the difference.’’

Danville junior linebacker Justin March gave a dissenting view.

“No, he is not right,’’ March said. “You don’t expect a big crowd on the road like that. They got us pumped up.

“They kept telling us, ‘it ain’t over, keep fighting.’ The crowd helped out a lot.’’

Vikings senior defensive back MykeTez Forman adamantly asserted the Danville crowd WAS the difference in Saturday’s playoff contest.

“Without them, we wouldn’t have won,’’ he said. “They were still cheering us on when we down by 10.

“We had to do something for them. So we came out and got the victory.’’

Danville supporter Andrew Kunze summed it up best after the game, “they brought one team — we brought one TOWN.’’

Luke pointed out that the support from the Danville community this season has been driving force for his team’s undefeated season.

“It gives them confidence,’’ he said. “That comes from people caring about them and our community cares about the Danville Vikings.’’

With Saturday’s come-from-behind victory over Richards, the Danville community will get the chance to show its support this week when the Vikings host the Lemont Indians on Saturday at Ned Whitesell Field.

Lemont (10-1) have finished second in the Class 6A playoffs the past two seasons, so Danville will once again need the support of its community.

Extra bleachers have been brought into Whitesell Field for the overflow crowds and ample seating was available on the visitors’ side in Danville’s first-round win over Oak Lawn.

Kickoff for Saturday’s quarterfinal contest will be set later today by the IHSA.

The price of tickets will go up to $6 for this round of playoffs.