Spending fall nights on the football field, winter nights on the court, and weekends at competitions, Highland’s cheerleaders had an incredible season.
Throughout the year, they competed at national qualifiers, regionals, state, and USA Nationals. With all of the cheer events over, the March 19th Highland cheer showcase was the last time the seniors put on their uniforms.
During the school year the team performed many half time routines, the most important being Homecoming and Freak East. On top of games, they have a choreographed band dance, show routine, and a sideline routine.
This year’s captains, Daphne Miller, Married O’Connor, and Moey Evans, led the team through many competitions, preparing them for their spot in nationals, and ultimately, their final showcase.
At the showcase, the varsity team performed four of its routines, including Homecoming and Freak East, as well as their competition pieces and the seniors ended the show with “Senior Pom”.
“My favorite thing about performing is just showcasing all the hard work that we’ve worked the entire season for,” Evans said.
Even though it was their last show, they put in just as much energy as their first, creating a fun and energetic atmosphere. Both the JV and varsity teams performed a total of eight routines that included poms, tumbling, and dancing.
After all of the routines were performed, the team held senior night. Each of the eight varsity seniors took turns walking with their parents or guardians to the center of the mats for a speech and flowers. Many of the other cheerleaders, as well as people in the audience, teared up watching their friends and family say goodbye to their team.
The seniors have spent countless hours with their teammates creating unbreakable bonds. From holiday socials to Disneyland trips, they have been together all year. Many of the seniors have spent multiple years on cheer with their teammates.
“There is a lot of love on our team, and it feels like a family,” Evans said.
Although leaving such a tightknit community can be hard, the seniors are excited to move on to more opportunities in college. While only a few mentioned continuing with cheer, all of the seniors have an exciting college experience waiting for them next year.
All of the hard work that the team put into their season really paid off during their showcase and their commitment to their team was heartwarming during this bittersweet goodbye.
