COEUR d'ALENE - The students whooped and cheered, frequently throwing up their hands, index fingers extended, creating a sea of No. 1 signs.

They did the wave, shouted, clapped and stomped their feet, anything to show their school spirit Thursday afternoon at Lakes Magnet Middle School.

The 600 sixth- to- eighth-graders - plus a slew of staff members and teachers - were prepping for Minnow Madness, the middle school version of Fight for the Fish, the annual high school rivalry basketball and spirit games between Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high schools.

The Minnow Madness competition, in its second year, is between Lakes and Canfield Middle Schools, and took place Thursday night at Lakes.

"It brings a lot of unity to both schools, and teaches kids good sportsmanship," said Canfield Principal Nick Lilyquist. "It's great for kids to see administrators and teachers in a different context, outside of school."

Jaylynn Heritage, a seventh-grade student at Lakes, said it's that school staff and student involvement that she enjoys most about the spirit and basketball competition.

"I thought it was a lot of fun," the 13-year-old said, following Thursday afternoon's practice rally.

At Lakes, Minnow Madness is tied to the school's annual participation in Hoops for Heart, a national program that serves as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, similar to the AHA's Jump Rope for the Heart program at the elementary school level. For Hoops for Heart, middle school students collect donations and raise money by learning about heart-healthy living and completing physical activities.

Corey Comstock, health and physical education teacher at Lakes, started the program at the school three years ago and tied it in to Minnow Madness.

"It's great to help the American Heart Association, but it's also a whole lot of fun," Comstock said.

It appeared Thursday afternoon that the Lakes students agreed. Many of them, wearing blue tye-died Minnow Madness shirts, frequently broke into dance, as they watched a team of student basketball players compete against a team of staff members.

Feet pounded the bleachers and students put their hands together along to the familiar stomp-stomp-clap beat of the band Queen's 1970s hit, "We Will Rock You."

Boys and girls alike showed they "like to move it, move it," and used their bodies to form the letters YMCA during the song with the same name.

Lana Hamilton, Lakes' assistant principal, periodically ran out in front of the bleachers with a steam table pan and lid. Holding up the pan, she pulled the lid off with flourish, and on that queue, the students screamed as if their cheers had been bottled up for ages under the lid.

"It's a great opportunity for the students to come together for a cause and build school spirit and pride, but it's really about having fun," Hamilton said.