Animal house: Juanita's wild get in the cage

KIRKLAND — Matt Grager remembers the morning he and his friends, Erin Cobb and Andrew Januik, decided to put a cage in the middle of the bleachers at Juanita High School.

It was last fall, and the three of them were talking in their first-period statistics class when the subject turned to school spirit. Nobody recalls who first raised the idea, but all three remember the plan: Build a cage, pack it with screaming fans and prop it in front of the student section during home basketball games.

Admittedly, the idea was a little out there. But it just seemed so perfect, so unique, so ... Rebel.

Friend Michael Rennaker remembers seeing them walk out of class that day.

"They've all got this glimmer in their eyes, and these goofy grins," he said.

At any other high school, the story might end there. At Juanita, it's only beginning.

If you've been to a basketball game in the remodeled Field House this season, you've seen the changes — the polished hardwood floor and the colorful plastic bleachers, all red, white and blue. You might also have seen "The Cage."

It sits anchored in cinder blocks, two rows up on the student side, behind the cheerleaders — a 12-foot long, 7-foot tall enclosure made of chain-link and galvanized steel. From the side, it looks like a penalty box. From the front, like a zoo exhibit.

"Please: Do Not Feed the Animals," a sign reads.

Inside are nine Juanita seniors, all boys, whose job it is to go absolutely crazy. From the opening tip to the final horn, they scream and cheer. They wear crazy outfits; they paint their faces. And if nothing else, they bring a little bit of excitement to Rebels basketball.

"I just think it's fantastic," said varsity cheer coach Andrea Snyder. "The spirit level that's going on in our building is something that we've been trying to do for years. I'm watching it and loving every minute."

After hatching the idea in math class, Cobb, Grager and Januik pitched it to principal Jane Todd, who was skeptical at first.

"My first response was I have to be concerned about the image of Juanita High School," Todd said. "And are we going to provide more fodder for people to criticize us?"

Before giving the project her blessing, Todd asked the students to create a list of rules to be followed in The Cage. Borrowing liberally from the school's athletic code, they put together a set of guidelines dealing with everything from drug and alcohol usage (strictly prohibited) to cheering (positive comments only) to attendance (mandatory).

"We emphasized all along that if you're in The Cage, you have to be models of sportsmanship," Todd said.

To fund the project, the group went to the Student Senate, where they asked for and received $400. By then, word had spread and kids around school were talking.

"It kind of polarized people," Grager said. "Some people were like, 'Oh, that's a stupid idea. Why would you want that?' And other people were like, 'Oh, that'd be awesome!' "

Construction started on Thanksgiving weekend, in a driving rain, at Cobb's house in Kirkland.

"We're drilling holes out in the rain, and sawing through metal in this muddy front lawn," Grager said. "We're out there for like four hours that night with a little space heater in the garage to warm up with. It was actually a lot of fun."

Cobb's uncle, a welder, made the corner pieces. Fellow senior Michael Elvidge did some spot welds on the frame. A half-dozen others pitched in with time and labor as the structure began to take shape.

The Cage debuted on Jan. 4 against Woodinville, a game Juanita had to come from behind to win 52-42.

"The Cage and the crowd kind of willed the win," said Cage regular Rob Perry. "We got the players into it in the second half."

To be in The Cage, students had to try out in front of a panel that included Todd, Snyder and the three originators. Participants were judged on endurance, costume, originality and ferocity. One guy came dressed head to toe in camouflage, blowing an air horn. Another ripped off his shirt.

"Not too seriously, obviously," Cobb said.

JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES Juanita's top player, Micah Downs, goes up for a shot as the "animals" cheer from their cage in the background.

"My parents, personally, they thought it was definitely odd," Januik said.

"My dad thought it was a great idea," added Grager. "My mom was like, 'My God, just don't embarrass the family.' "

And so here they are on a recent Friday night, nine guys and their gimmick. Perry has painted his face red, white and blue, in a pattern that resembles the Union Jack.

"It's more tiger stripes," he said. "That's what I was going for."

Elvidge wears a pair of blue running shorts, several sizes too small.

"Just going for something that will catch people's attention, get a laugh and show some spirit," he said. "I actually took them from my friend's dad. He doesn't know I have them."

The senior girls stand above The Cage, resting their arms on top, looking slightly amused. Almost everybody wears red T-shirts bearing the likeness of the school's Rebels mascot that read: "Welcome 2 Juanita, Home of The Cage."

Todd, Snyder and another administrator sit in front, just in case anybody needs reminding of the rules. For the most part, nobody does. They seem to understand that this is a privilege.

"I think it's great because they're doing it in a positive way," said athletic director John Appelgate, standing nearby. "I'd be the first one to tear that thing down if I didn't think they were behaving the right way in there."

After one month, The Cage seems to have become an integral part of the new Field House experience. It is a rallying point, of sorts. Cobb is using The Cage as his senior project, a mandatory step toward graduation. Januik wrote about it for one of his essays for entrance to the University of California. On this night, it rocks and shakes as the Rebels roll to their first victory over Garfield since 1999.

"When it comes down to it, they're just fans, you know?" said Doug Seaton, afterward. "It's just cool that they're that into it."

A couple of years ago, some students at Juanita came up with an idea they called the "Red Sea" where everybody would show up to games wearing red. The concept worked for a while, but faded over time. This year's seniors hope they've stumbled onto something more lasting.

"I'm hoping that in 10 years, I'll come back and see a basketball game and see The Cage right there in the front row with a bunch of kids just going wild," Perry said. "That's what I'm really hoping."

Matt Peterson: 206-515-5536 or mpeterson@seattletimes.com