The Fair Grove High School Cheer Team cheers at almost every home basketball game for the high school boys and girls teams.
The cheer team is coached by Samantha Padgett. During basketball season they attempt to cheer at every possible home game. Padgett explained, “We do try to attend every home game, boys and girls. The only time we would not attend is if we are preparing for something. For example a half time performance.”
At home basketball games the cheer team stands out of bounds behind the goal. The team has specific basketball cheers. Cheerleader Alice McMains (11) said, “We have football cheers that say stuff about football then we also have basketball cheers that say stuff about basketball. We also have cheers that we use for both. Our floor chants are only basketball since there is more echo on a hardwood floor.”
The team has been practicing since the summer. Cheerleader Avary Austin (11) explained, “The cheer season is very long. It is between eight to ten months depending how far our basketball season goes. The past two years we went from June all the way to March.”
The cheer season will officially end when both boys and girls basketball seasons end. Mcmains added, “After basketball ends we have a little break before tryouts in April.”
The team practices two days a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Austin said, “Our cheer practices change all throughout the year. At the beginning of the season we begin with preparing for competition so those practices are us just perfecting what we know. Once competition is over then our practices consist of preparing for performances we might do, learning new stunts, and more.”
For the last few weeks the team was preparing for the upcoming dance. McMains explained, “We have been practicing for court warming lately so we are doing more dances and stunts.” The Fair Grove court warming dance was on January 31st.
This year the team has four seniors: Eden Lair, Lizzy Taylor, Desiree Pollock, and Taylor Wisely. All four seniors have been cheerleading for all four years of high school.
The team has a lot of memories throughout the years. Austin said, “My favorite cheer memory is probably the state football game last year. Also on the way to the state game the cheer bus tire popped and the cheer team had to cram on the pep club buses to even get to the game.”
The cheer team has had a successful and enjoyable season this year placing 6th overall at state. McMains said, “I have a lot of favorite memories from cheer. We have a lot of fun and are very crazy sometimes.”
