Clare O’Shea, Reporter
Photos by Graysen Handler
Bussey’s Bomb Squad, the trademark of NCHS’s student section, has been in operation since 2009, named after Jeff Bussey, the head coach of the boys’ varsity basketball team at the time. Today, in 2025, Instagram accounts, X pages, and merchandise still live on, with rowdy students and leaders continuing to pursue the tradition. However, in recent years, there has been a rapid decline in attendance for NCHS students past the half time of many of our games, especially those at the Home of the Rams.
GameTime CT reported on the NCHS home game against Bunnell, not about the score or the players, but about the rapid decline of students moving into the next half. Just under a month later, in one of the biggest games of the season, vs Greenwich, Bussey’s Bomb Squad came back for redemption, dressed to the USA theme, with confetti, baby powder, and cheers all through the game to show for it.
So what sets these two apart? Was it the public shame from GameTime? The circumstances of the game? Bussey’s Bomb Squad leaders Finn Roeder and Petey Zwick strongly emphasized the impact of the student section pressures. “We definitely feel responsible for keeping the spirit and energy of the school alive,” Petey said. “When the crowd feeds off our energy, it makes the whole stadium more electric and helps the team feel supported.” For both Finn and Petey, that sense of spirit comes with the responsibility to lead by example and stay locked in until the very end. Finn explained how they “always try to stay till the end, no matter what the score is… If we leave early, others will too, so it’s important we set an example and stick to our job.”
After the Bunnell game, the criticism toward the student body circulated rapidly online. But Petey believes the shift during the Greenwich game was about more than outside pressure. “Some of the criticism got to people a bit,” he said, “but most of it came down to the game itself. It was a slow-paced event, and many people left early. Everyone stayed in a really tight and intense game versus Greenwich.”
Still, both leaders see room for improvement, and they are hopeful for the future of the Bomb Squad, especially as they head to the Turkey Bowl. “Students can show up better by staying loud, creative, and positive, even when things aren’t going our way,” Finn said. “We just want to pass that pride down to the next group of leaders.” The players have noticed it too, and according to Petey, several team members have credited high energy to the Bomb Squad. He explained that they feed off the student sections’ energy, giving them a boost to play harder.
“Keep showing up and keep the same energy we had during the Greenwich game,” Finn said. “Every game is a chance to make an impact and hype up the team we’re cheering for.”
