They put down the mats. They start stretching. Then their coach huddles them up and tells them the plan for the day. Then the music starts. All of a sudden a girl will start flipping. And then another. And then another. Their routine is so fluent they could have their own Cirque du Soleil show. This isn’t Broadway; this is the HR cheer team.

   JJ Jiang, senior captain, said, “I love cheer. It brings me to a peaceful place where I can feel free. Every stress in my life goes away.” There have been some tough times, from girls quitting to arguments, for this cheer team, but with good leadership, they can focus on what they truly love, and that is cheer.

  Brittani Scott, cheer head coach, said, “This team has been through a lot and have had to make numerous changes to our original choreography. Let’s hope that all of the changes that we have gone through as a team are over, and we can focus on our routine and our future. The girls are so very talented, and the future can be so bright. I have no doubt. I believe in them, and I know they can do it.” This team had a senior captain quit midway through the season, but that hasn’t stopped them. Scott preaches doing things the right way and always treating everyone like a family.

  Through all the struggle, one thing has stayed the same, and that is their focus on competitions. Through everything, Scott has made sure they focus on competition and nothing else. Cami Daniels, freshman, said, “We are a family. Families have drama and they fight, but at the end of it, we love each other. I love this team.”

 Scott said, “I have never been more proud of my team. We have had many struggles, but we stay together. A lot of tough moments have happened this year, girls quitting, girls crying, but when we are competing, we are incredible. They are my pride, my everything. I love my girls.” They most recently competed at Top of the Hill competition at Smoky Hill. Continental League Championships will be held November 9th at Legend High School.

Dominic Dakovich, Staff Reporter