November 22 was a tough day for the High School South cheerleading squad, with tears throughout the day. But the tears following the Colonial Valley Conference cheerleading competition were of anything but sadness.##M:[more]##
In fact, not only had the South cheerleaders claimed first place, but they had done it after watching the South football team fall 40-7 to Sayreville in the playoffs just hours before. Having to shake it off entering the competition, the girls took home their first trophy and regained some school pride.
“They had to come into the school, get changed, and try to put their mind into what they had worked for three months,” said cheerleading coach Lisa Savas, who has been coaching the squad for five years now. “We came in, we cried, we got it out of our system.”
What made it even more emotional was that the seniors on the squad had come to the realization that they had just cheered at the last football event of their high school careers, even though they had been expecting to be on the field cheering for the team this coming weekend. Savas helped psyche the girls up for the event, reminding them how hard they had worked to get this far. “I truly believed they had a fantastic routine and that they could pull it off,” Savas said.
Their routine begins with a minute of cheering, followed by a five-second intermission, and followed by a music part that lasts about a minute and a half, during which the girls are stunting and tumbling, the most challenging part of the routine. Savas said she watched in awe.
“Stunting is very difficult because it depends on your entire stunt group being there,” Savas said, adding that it is more challenging when squad members get sick or have other commitments and have to miss practice throughout the season. “It’s a lot of teamwork that’s involved.”
The girls began practicing in the middle of August, first by attending a three-day camp that intensively works on the routine. The teams has practiced the routine since then, right through to hours before the competition, which is in its fourth annual year.
Led by captains Caroline Tuck, Michelle Long, and Megan Phelan, the squad of 16 girls took home the first place title, defeating other squads, including Ewing and Nottingham, in the “small division.” The competition is broken into sections, depending on size of the squad and whether or not the squad is co-ed.
While the South girls had won second place in the competition’s second year, they had yet to win a first place title. “They worked hard, and they deserved what they got. They really, really put a lot of time and effort into it,” said Savas.
The girls are now looking ahead to hosting their second annual Pirate Cheer Clinic on Saturday, January 31, for girls in kindergarten through 8th grade. Participants can learn a new dance, cheers, and stunts from the South cheerleaders. The clinic will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants must pre-register by Friday, January 23, and the cost is $30. The cost includes instruction, pom poms, and refreshments. Contact Gail at glong1985@comcast.net or Lisa at tucklings@msn.com for more information.
And while the South girls took first place in their division this year, the North squad took second place in the “medium” division.
