![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
Silver Creek Cheer: The Road to Competition
Photo courtesy of Taylor Austin
Silver Creek athletes cheer at a recent football game. In this photo Willow Martinez (senior), Bridget Hauger (junior), and Emma Reiner (freshmen) are cheering on their Raptor football players to victory. This football season was the very last and very first for some Silver Creek cheerleaders.
Imagine that you’re at practice- nerves and excitement are flowing through your body. Your adrenaline is pumping and your team is getting ready for their very first competition. That is what the Silver Creek Cheerleading team is doing at each practice to make their performance perfect.
The Silver Creek cheerleading team has been preparing for competition since the beginning of December. The cheerleaders work hard at practice, focused to make all this hard work worth it at the competition.
The Silver Creek cheer team had very little time to prepare for competition this year. They would normally have August to mid-December to get ready. This year, they pulled a routine together in less than 3 months. Even with the short amount of time to prepare, Varsity Coach Taylor Austin is less than worried about her team. Austin just wants her girls to enjoy themselves and have fun. “My biggest worry is also my biggest hope, that is that everyone enjoys themselves,” said Austin.
As well as Coach Austin, Junior Varsity Coach Kassidy Hudson knows that her team is more than prepared for competition. She said, “I do my best not to worry [about the girls at competition],” Hudson explained in an interview, “I set the girls up with routines that will make them succeed.” Hudson has every bit of faith in her team and knows they will be amazing.
One of the most important things a team should have is a strong and positive attitude. Silver Creek has the most positive cheer team, which allows them to have a strong bond with each other.
“I do think we are prepared, absolutely! Like I said before, there is always room for improvement, but this team is probably one of the happiest and most positive groups we have ever had, that kind of attitude goes a long way!”, Hudson explained in an interview.
Even with over half the cheerleading team being freshmen this season, that has not stopped the girls from bringing 110% to every practice. It’s not ideal to have a Varsity team of almost all freshmen because they don’t have the more advanced skills when they first join the team. However, they have proved that they are just as good as all the returners [athletes who were on the team the previous season]. It doesn’t matter if they can’t hit that one stunt, or one skill, that doesn’t stop them from staying positive and having a good attitude every practice.
“It’s [having a lot of freshmen on the team] very different from what I’m used to, but I love all the girls and their personalities.”, Austin explained.
Senior Peyton Kilpatrick, captain of the Silver Creek cheerleading team, is preparing to head on the mat in her last competition as a Silver Creek cheerleader. She has mentored the girls to the best of her ability and is ready to see all the hard work pay off at State.
“I am very excited to see how far these girls have come and I’m excited to compete with such an amazing group of girls,” Kilpatrick stated.
The Silver Creek cheerleading team will be heading to The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO on March 25th to compete in this year’s state competition. They will be competing against multiple different teams from around Colorado coming into the competition with the same goal. Silver Creek will be competing on March 25, 2021, at 12:34 pm. They have a total of 2 minutes and 30 seconds to impress the judges and complete their goals as a team!
Of course with COVID-19, the competition will look very different this year than in the past. Coaches, spectators, and athletes, that aren’t currently competing, will be masked. Athletes that are on the mat will be able to take their masks off for their performance then will immediately put them back on.
The cheer competition is coming up quickly, and this team is ready! With the help of their coaches, mentors, and teammates, this team is hungry for competition. As much as the coaches and athletes, we are all excited to see this team compete, but the big question is, how will this amazing team of girls do at their first competition together?
Olivia is a senior at Silver Creek High School, and this will be her third year as a member of the journalism program and her first year as the Editor...
