WFU Spirit the Size of Texas!
The 1,000+ miles between Dallas and Winston-Salem won’t stop Texas Wake Foresters from coming out in droves to support the Deacs. On Saturday, February 16, 2025, more than 200 fans from across the state and beyond turned out for a pep rally at Ozona Grill & Bar ahead of the WF vs. SMU men’s basketball game that evening.
Demon Deacons filled every seat. Black and gold pom poms and beads swiftly vanished off of entry tables into the hands of excited fans. Bartenders brought out additional kegs and staff carried out more food after guests polished everything off—twice! The energy and comradery in the room was palpable.
After everyone had the chance to mingle, John Currie, Vice President & Director of Athletics, stood to address the crowd. He spoke about how critical fans are for away games, not only to bolster the team’s morale, but also, in his words, “to keep the refs honest.”
Filling Moody Coliseum with Deacs
He must have been onto something, because the crowd of over 300 Wake Forest fans in SMU’s Moody Coliseum bore witness to a decisive WF victory. Sophomore guard Parker Friedrichsen in particular had more than 100 people from his hometown of Bixby, OK, including 40 family members, in the crowd. He went on to score a season-high 18 points, helping set and maintain a firm lead over SMU. Wake also put up an incredible defense, keeping SMU from a field goal for nearly nine minutes in the final stretch of the game.
As the Deacs pulled ahead, the crowd’s enthusiasm grew. By the fourth quarter when Wake had a double-digit lead, a cry of “WAKE” rose from one end of the arena, answered by a resounding “FOREST” from the opposite. Elizabeth Marsh (’07), the WAKEDallas-Ft.Worth community director who organized the pep rally, describes how inspiring it was to hear that call and know what a strong Wake Forest presence surrounded her.
The night ended with a 77–66 victory for the Demon Deacons, their third-straight ACC road win and sixth of the season. Whether the huge crowd of Wake Foresters holding the refs accountable truly drove Wake to victory, it’s hard to say, but the immense outpouring of support certainly didn’t hurt.
Join Us for the Next One
While the WF vs. SMU game is over, Elizabeth is already planning the next opportunity to bring WAKEDallas-Ft.Worth together. Keep an eye on your community page to stay in the loop about upcoming events. If you’d like to get further involved and drive future events like this one, please reach out and Elizabeth will be delighted to connect you with Wake Forest’s efforts in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Regardless of whether you’d like to actively volunteer or just show up to cheer on the Deacs at away games, thank you for carrying the spirit of Wake Forest from Winston-Salem to wherever you might be!