The Jungle

The+Jungle

The year was 1985 when three young Nanticoke High School students, John Yudichak, George Graboske, and Gary Grodzicki had an idea to make every Nanticoke basketball game an exhilarating experience for GNA students. “We wanted to put our stamp on Nanticoke’s basketball history by becoming the best student section in high school sports,” quoted Senator John Yudichak. They certainly made their mark; the Trojan student section quickly gained a reputation for their rowdy ways and caught the eye of a local newspaper reporter who famously stated, “If Hazleton’s basketball gym is known as the ‘Zoo,’ then Nanticoke must be the ‘Jungle!’” Adopting the “Jungle” label, they grasped onto the title and proudly declared it as their official student section name. “What started out as a few animals shouting from the bleachers, quickly turned into a ‘Jungle’ of animals showing up at every game to cheer on the Trojans,” said Senator Yudichak.

Now, the year is 2017 and the Jungle still holds the same reputation, but with a modern twist. For the past three basketball seasons, the Jungle has had a Twitter account where the account administrator creates polls where students can vote on themes for the game. Most students who choose to be part of the Jungle dress up in correspondence with the assigned theme for each game. The Jungle is and always will be the sixth man on the court, giving players the extra enthusiasm that they need.