Cougar Cheerleaders Gunning For No. 1 Spot

When people hear the term cheerleading they often think of girls cheering at a football or basketball game. What they don’t always realize is that high school cheerleading squads have competitions of their own. And takes its cheerleading very seriously.

The Cougars cheerleading squads have been six-time state cheerleading champions, and will start the process of trying to earn a seventh title today at the Anne Arundel County cheerleading competition at Meade High School.

The Cougars won the state title for winter and fall in 2008, 2009, and 2010, making them six-time consecutive state champions.

Last season, the squad came in second in the winter, and third in the fall for the first time in three years. And while many teams would be happy with being one of the top three teams in the state, the Cougars were not. This year, they have their eyes set on getting back in the No. 1 spot, but those lofty expectations do not come without mounting amounts of pressure.

“It is a lot of pressure,” said head coach Lisa Freburger. “I am much more comfortable being the underdog than I am being on top, and I think the same is true for the girls. Going three years undefeated at the state was very difficult. No one has done that.”

Since the Cougars were successful for so long, it made last year’s letdown much harder to handle, and it has only increased expectations for this year.

“It’s definitely a lot more pressure now,” said senior captain Carly Schell. “Before when we were winning, and winning we went in knowing we were very successful, now we’re the underdogs. So we have to get back to the top and let people know we are still good and we still want it.”

The road to a state championship is long. The squad will compete at counties today, with the teams that finish in the top four advancing to regionals on Feb. 9.  The top five teams from regionals will advance to the state competition.  It is a long road that leaves little room for missteps.

“Losing last year definitely hurt; it was more of a shock than anything,” said junior captain Lauryn Freburger. “I wasn’t used to it before because we always won. So losing has made me want it even more.”

For each competition the squad will perform a 2 1/2-minute routine done to music. The routine has to have stunting, tumbling, jumps and a cheer all incorporated into the performance. And if one girl should falter, the whole team could pay the price.

Freburger said this year’s squad is aware of the problems from last year, and the knowledge of what needs to be fixed will help them to reclaim their No. 1 spot.

“They know where we were lacking last season,” Freburger said. “We just weren’t as much of a team, for whatever reason the kids just weren’t gelling last season. It is a lot easier as a team when you are winning to stay positive and focused – so that was a huge rebuilding issue. We just know going forward we have to stay positive. The girls need to stay a family and lean on each other.”

The Cougars will hit the mats today for the first step in their long and highly anticipated journey back to the top.