Fair Grove High School cheerleaders have excitedly entered the 2019-2020 cheer season lasting up until the HS basketball season is over. Replacing Sydney Hill as cheer coach this year is Samantha Padgett. The cheer team this year has high hopes for the season to come.

This year there are 13 cheerleaders, accompanied by the school mascot, Helenann Huffman (9). The team captain is Brooke Heavin (12) and co-captain is Chloe Reynaud (10). The captains help the cheer team progress forward, Brooke stated, “Responsibilities for being captain are making sure everyone knows when practice is, deciding what cheers we do and when we do them at the games, what our performances are going to be, helping other cheerleaders, and doing anything else our coach asks.” 

The goals for the team are flying high this season. After last year’s cheer went to state, the bar has been raised. The girls hope to reach state again, but Coach Padgett explained, “My goals for this upcoming season is that everyone has a fun year. I hope that we continue to grow as a team and have a successful year. I hope that this year we can perform some fun, energetic routines, and that overall everyone enjoys this year of cheerleading.” With these big goals, comes lots and lots of practice.

A normal cheer practice consist of stretches and various cheers and routines depending on the sport they’re cheering for; however, practice isn’t the only thing the cheerleaders do to prepare for a game. “When preparing for games we will practice, make sure we know our material and have worked on stunts. The night of a game we meet and have dinner together as a team and then head to the game. Once there, we will warm up any stunts we need to, and practice the quarter cheer we will be performing that night.”

The cheer season is throughout the football and basketball season. There will be tryouts for cheering in basketball season, but the date has yet to be determined. The cheer team will perform at every varsity football game coming up, the next being Friday, October 8th at Strafford.