Support system

They call it Madison Mania. It’s the kind of phenomenon that leads to a school with 650 students selling out its allotment of 1,000 state quarterfinals tickets in 20 minutes, forcing the school to turn 250 more fans away.

It’s also apparently what happens when the boys basketball team at the only high school in a small rural county is 27-0 and three victories away from a state title. There’s no doubt Madison County will have plenty of fans inside the Monticello High School gym in Charlottesville tonight when the Mountaineers take on Northampton at 6 p.m. The only question might be if there will be room for anyone not wearing blue inside the 2,700-seat facility.

“I think there should be tickets available for our fans when they get there,” Madison coach Tim Taylor said. Taylor and his Mountaineers have been playing in front of sold out crowds at home all season and on many road trips they’ve had the backing of a fan base that travels well. Madison fans packed the arena at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg for the Region B final and will likely do the same as long as their Mountaineers stay alive.

“It’s meant a lot to us to get that support all year,” Taylor said. “Just to see so many people come out and support the kids, they’ve helped us through a lot.”

Never more than last week when visiting Buckingham led the Mountaineers most of the way during the regional semifinal. The Knights, who ended Madison’s season in the regional tournament last year, seemed poised to do it again before the Mountaineers rallied in the fourth quarter, much to the delight of the standing-room only crowd.

Though the Mountaineers are certainly one of the most talented teams in the state, the fan support has also helped them get where they are, often intimidating visiting teams.

“They definitely are aware of it,” Taylor said. “Coaches don’t talk about it a lot, but the George Mason coach said his team hadn’t played in an environment like that. He said they were scared.”

It should be an entertaining game for the Madison faithful making the short drive to Charlottesville. Northampton won the Eastern Shores District and plays a fast-paced style. The Mountaineers players, who often come out of the locker room to thank fans after games, hope they give their supporters a reason to travel to Richmond next week for the Group A, Division 2 semifinals.

“It means so much to us,” senior guard Sam Utz told the Daily Progress in Charlottesville. “It means so much to community. We love all of them for coming out here.”