THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060195
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAN COOLEY, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Few schools in Virginia can rival the fan support and loyalty found at Southampton High.
On the road, it's common for Southampton followers to outnumber the host school's fans. Just two weeks ago, Indian boosters traveled close to 70 miles to 1993 state playoff qualifier Park View in South Hill and outdrew the hosts.
Outdrawing host schools in itself is remarkable, but it becomes amazing when it's discovered that aside from Franklin - located only 10 miles away - the closest opponents (Nansemond River and Lakeland) are 45 minutes away.
This strong loyalty caused Southampton native Charlie Williams to make a bold prediction. Williams, who broadcasts Southampton updates for local radio station WLQM, predicted that the Southampton-Nansemond River game Friday will be the biggest football crowd at Arrowhead Stadium since Nansemond River opened four years ago.
Traveling en masse is a long-standing tradition at Southampton. Just like winning.
The Indians were the most successful team in the state in the 1970s when they reached the state finals eight straight times and won four championships.
According to Williams, many fans would ride buses to games as far back as the early 1960s. Now that most everyone has cars, supporters car pool in large numbers instead.
Similar transportation was provided for students, as well.
``For many years, the schools provided buses for students to go to games,'' said Southampton principal Bill Wright. ``We stopped doing it two years ago because of finances. Nowadays, many of the students have their own cars, anyway.''
Williams became a spectator in 1970, and in 24 years he has missed only three games. Counting both regular-season and playoff games, Williams has probably seen 250 or more contests.
Though no such official records are kept, 85-year-old Ed Bond, who moved to the area 40 years ago, is a strong candidate for the record of most Southampton games seen.
In 40 years of watching the Indians play, Bond has missed only 10 games. He is one of the team's spotters, something he has done for the past 15 years.
Another loyal follower is team statistician Diane Seward, who started keeping Southampton stats in high school. Fifteen years later, she still enjoys the job.
Wright, principal for 28 years, also has quite a long-standing history of loyalty to the school.
``Part of the reason fans are so loyal is because they always expect great things out of the team,'' he said. ``Nothing breeds success, like success.
``I've programmed this team all the way to the state finals. I've done that the past several years and this year is no different.''
Southampton responded to the high expectations with a second-place finish in the state in 1989, and a second-place in the region in 1990.
The team has qualified for the state playoffs five years in a row. by CNB