(From left to right) Clarke Central High School varsity cheerleaders Daija Varnum, a senior, A’kyia Marin, a CCHS alumna and Bre’Asia Echols, a junior, stand on the sideline during the varsity football game against Johnson High School on Oct. 25, 2018. The team has implemented several new cheers this season and Echols believes the cheers have been working out well. “It’s been going good, part of the reason is the ripples and the effect that it has. Like, most of the words to the cheers (create a good effect). So, so far so good,” Echols said. Photo by Naomi Hendershot
The Clarke Central High School varsity cheer team will begin its season on Aug. 23 at the varsity football game against Winder-Barrow High School.
The Clarke Central High School varsity cheer team will kick off the season competing against Winder-Barrow High School in Billy Henderson Stadium on Aug. 23.
The team has prepared in various ways leading up to the start of the season.
“We started the season off with summer practices. We started the first week of school off with our regular-season practices, and we attended the (scrimmage against Norcross High School) last week,” CCHS head varsity girls cheerleading coach Krystain Edwards said. “I think it was a great opportunity for the girls to practice before we got into the real season games, and so it gave them the opportunity to practice and then also learn what we need to do better.”
Graphic by Luna Reichert
For CCHS junior and varsity cheerleader Bre’Asia Echols, the scrimmage was an overall positive experience.
“For me, (the scrimmage) was good. To me, all we need to do is just cut back on the talking, but other than that it was pretty good, and I feel like we’ll be better this Friday,” Echols said.
According to Edwards, although the team’s performance has been satisfactory, their biggest goal for the season is to increase the overall enthusiasm at football games.
“My hopes for the season is that the girls can be cheerleaders and definitely cheer on our football team, and also help the students show more spirit. That’s one of my things: I want Clarke Central as a whole to have a lot of spirit,” Edwards said. “So that’s what I’m hoping for the season — that we have (spirit) all the way through, throughout our games.”
Edwards hopes CCHS students will bring the same energy they brought at the Georgia High School Association AAAAA state playoffs last season.
“At the end (of the season), when we get to the playoffs, we have more fans, and we have a lot of spirit, and I really want that to start this Friday with Winder (and continue) throughout the season,” Edwards said.
