They’ve got spirit: Highlights from this season’s football cheerleaders
By Kirsten Stokes
As local football teams head to district matchups, News-Press NOW is taking a look back at the cheerleading teams highlighted in this season’s “Sideline Spirit.”
Over the past nine weeks, we visited Central, Lafayette, Benton, LeBlond, St. Joseph Christian, Riverside, Savannah, East Buchanan and Mid Buchanan high schools.
While half the squads were focused on a season of rebuilding and establishing a rapport with their loud crowds and fanbase, others were determined to be high competitors in their regional and state competitions.
Working towards regional and state placements, cheerleaders at Savannah and Central talked about the determination and community support required for their success.
“It really just shows not just how much to ourselves we mean, but how much to the community we mean,” said Isabella Arnold, a senior at Savannah.
“So even in those difficult practices, the girls just keep coming back the next day and try just as hard and they they want to be successful,” said Amy Barnette, assistant coach at Central.
“Sideline Spirit” was created to shed light on the hard work and year-round practices of cheerleaders in this community. Not only do they work consecutive days, but some wake up as early as 5 a.m. to get a head start on practice.
“Between volleyball, golf, cheer and FCCLA and NHS, just finding time to all get together … we have to do practices in the morning, but yeah, fun time to be together to really work through everything,” said Abagail Barton, senior captain at East Buchanan.
Striving to bring energy and spirit to each game day, coaches and captains at Riverside and Mid-Buchanan use their practice to work on rallying their fans.
“Even though our school is so small, we are full of spirit. We know every player out there and we care about them and we’re excited when they get to play,” said Clover Frakes, a junior at Riverside.
“We’re together a lot, so I feel like the more we are, the more it helps us on the football field,” said Lillion Meyer, a senior at Mid-Buchanan.
Lafayette, Benton, LeBlond and St. Joseph Christian took a rebuilding approach to this season, hoping to regain some skills, cheers and tumbling.
“We’re starting out at the basic level, kind of starting out with the level one, so we are working on preps and hoping that we’re able to start doing extensions, switch-ups, and ball-ups,” said Brooklyn Jones, assistant coach at Lafayette.
No matter who they cheer for, their dedication to classwork, sports and encouraging other teams keeps these local cheerleaders inspired to bring the spirit no matter where they go.
