Globe High School cheer was at a standstill for many months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Usually, the award-winning team holds practice and camps all year long to keep the athletes in shape for competition. Sept. 7 they were finally given the okay to begin practice and hold tryouts for incoming talent. A few of the cheerleaders are also dancers at a local studio, and that was the only conditioning they had prior to cheer season.

GHS cheer has been competing for many years and has brought home numerous trophies and awards for their performances on a regional and state level. The team has had their challenges but they all remain optimistic that with the dedicated members they will be ready by qualifiers, which has been pushed to January. Mahlea Widner, a senior and four-year varsity, has competed each year of high school, so she is aware of the pressure that comes with the territory. Mahlea told the Arizona Silver Belt that she just tries to remind everyone that they can’t give up when a stunt fails. The other senior girls on the team, Melissa Cottrell, Krista Ramos and Katrin Barajas all said that with the reputation that Globe High School Cheer team has, they don’t want to be the team that fails.

This year GHS will also compete in Game Day on Saturday, Dec. 12. This competition showcases what traditional cheerleading is all about. The team will be evaluated on their ability to lead the crowd, proper game day skill incorporation, execution of skills, motion technique and overall routine.

They will showcase their best sideline and crowd leading cheers in three separate performances. They will perform the fight song, band chant and crowd leading. The use of crowd leading tools such as signs, poms, flags and/or megaphones is encouraged.

The crowd leading will be limited to one minute and there is no music allowed in this performance. The fight song is also limited to one minute and uses recorded band music and will include tumbling and stunts. The band chant will also use recorded band music and have  a one-minute time limit.

The top 40 percent, but no more than 10 teams in each division, will move on to the finals round. Each finalist will showcase its best leadership skills and sideline crowd leading material in a Game Day presentation that will include an announcer-led situational cue describing a game day element.

The seniors told the Arizona Silver Belt that they are nervous, but excited to participate in Game Day. No spectators will be allowed, but the competition will be streamed through the NFHS Network. Subscriptions can be purchased athttps://www.nfhsnetwork.com/subscribe/retail. Subscribers will be able to watch not only the Game Day Championship but also the Cheer and Dance Qualifiers as well as the State Championship.