This year the cheer team continues to focus on building a strong foundation of skill and athleticism as they perform on the sidelines and compete on the competition floor. 

   New cheerleaders joining WHS cheer this year are freshmen Brooke Mazerik, junior Correlli Ruiz, junior Alenah Yoder, and freshman Destiny Miller.

   Miller says she is happy to be there and is ready to make new memories.

   “I’m so grateful to be on a team where I can learn to cheer and create memories with new people,” Miller said.

   Head cheer coach, Brooklyn Hetherington, thinks the season is going well with the new athletes.  

   “I think our season is going well, we are a very young team, we only have five upperclassmen and are trying to balance.” Hetherington said.

   Head captain Jovi Robertson thinks this season is going well as they cheer on the Wildcats on Friday nights.

   “This season has been good, our team has been hard at work with getting gameday and competition ready. We always enjoy cheering on our boys under Friday night lights,” Robertson saidl,0

   The team is continuing to focus on building their program this season after coming off of last season’s return to competition. The team qualified for state competition last year and hope to return this season. The performance team, which consists of 10 of the cheerleaders, competed at regionals on Sept. 27 at Liberty North High School. While they did not qualify to return to state, they felt accomplished about their performance.

   The team placed 7th at the regional competition this year.

“After a rough week of rehearsals, girls coming off of injury,  I am just proud that they went out there and did their best. It was obviously not what we had hoped for but we have another competition in the spring to look forward to,” Hetherington said

  Competition is not done for the team, they plan to compete at the game day competition in February. 

   The girls are prepared hard for their competitions every day.

   “We are practicing nearly everyday, stunts every practice, and then on gamedays we run those stunts during the game, during timeouts, quarter changes, and also practice dance material and cheer during the game as well.” Hetherington said.

   Robertson has been preparing with the cheerleaders with new stunts, jumps, and tumbling passes for regionals in KC.

   “We have been preparing over the last few weeks to compete at regionals in KC by learning new stunts, jumps, tumbling passes, cheers, and dances to come together in one competition routine. All of us girls have been hard at work and getting excited for the competition to come,” Robertson said.

  Hetherington also thinks the team could work on tenacity. 

   “We have these great ideas and when things go a little hard sometimes we tend to get frustrated with ourselves, and get stuck so we need to push past that and get a little more mental toughness,” Hetherington said.

   Robertson thinks they could work more skills and master the ones they know.

   “Our team can always work on enhancing our skills and perfecting the ones we have. We continue to work on our endurance and jumping skills through conditioning,” Robertson said.

   Sophomore Alyssa Boyd wants to be a better leader in the group and try to rebuild the foundation in cheer.

   “My plans for the season or to rebuild the foundation of our program and to become a better leader overall,” Alyssa Boyd said.

   Alyssa also wants to make it to state as well as grow as a team altogether.

   “What I hope to accomplish this season is to be able to make it to state for performance and game day competitions as well as grow as a team,” Boyd said.

   This year the team has had the privilege to have an assistant coach Mckenzie Eldridge to help the girls better themselves.

Sophomore Alexis Wynn loves having a new assistant coach.

    “My opinion on our new assistant coach is I love having her. I think she is a great addition to our team and I love having the extra coaching, ” Wynn said 

   Sophomore Alyssa Boyd thinks she brings so much joy to the team.

“I personally know coach Kenzie myself. She is just such a blessing to our team and I couldn’t ask for a better assistant because she just brings so much joy and many ideas,” Boyd said.

   Robertson thinks this will be one of the best teams she has been on.

“I believe this might be one of our best teams I’ve been on yet!” said Robertson.