The Soddy-Daisy High School football cheer squad continues to shine at competitions. Cheer captains front row from left are Renee Stullich, Morgan Mikel, Taylor Newsom and Kim O'Neill. Middle row from left are Abby McClure, Cruze Smith, Kelsey Hickey, Hailey Gault, Jaci Jackson, Alexis Cabe, Stormi Moore and Brittany Whitworth. Back row from left are Matti Newsom, Hannah Holbrook, Ashlynn Putnam, McKenzie Davis, Chelsea Merriman, Ally McGee and head cheer coach Vicki Jackson. Not pictured are Kirbee DeMatteo, Haven Edgemon, Becky Rasmussen and coach Brandon Marshall.Football season may be over at Soddy-Daisy High School, but its football cheerleaders continue to give SDHS students a shot of school pride by winning competitions year after year.
This year the squad has already taken home 10 top awards - and its winning season may not be over yet.
The squad is heading to Dallas, Texas, in mid-January to compete in the National Cheerleaders Association National Championships.
"We will try for the Grand Championship Jan. 12 and 13 in Dallas," said SDHS head football cheer coach Vicki Jackson. "We are only allowed to compete every other year. We won the Grand National Championships in 2011 in Las Vegas. In 2009 we won the National Championships in Dallas. After January, we will take the 2013-2014 season off from competitions. We do community service and fundraising on our off-years. "
The SDHS football cheer squad will pay more than $12,000 to compete in Dallas this January.
"In the past 10 years at Soddy-Daisy High School the football cheerleaders have won two state and three national championships," said Jackson, adding that she quit taking the girls to state in order to focus solely on NCA competitions. "We've had a lot of first place and second place wins over the years. The routine we will do in Dallas is put together by three different choreographers and incorporates stunting, jumping, tumbling, cheering and dancing in a two and a half minute routine."
She gives credit to the squad's choreographers and coaches, of Rah! Spirit located off Bonny Oaks Drive, for assisting in training the girls for the many competitions they have won this season. But the real W-I-N goes to the hardworking high schoolers.
"We have a lot of over the top practices every day," said Jackson. "During competition season we practice every day and sometimes on weekends. The practices last two to three hours per day."