Last Friday at the pep rally, the Girl’s Varsity Cheer team shocked the entire school with an amazing special performance, featuring none other than our very own Varsity Football Seniors! Not only did the boys bring spirit, but impressed everyone with their quickly acquired skills.
Inspired by a video on Youtube, Varsity cheerleader Lucy Benn suggested this opportunity to both teams. Despite their lack of confidence in their idea, the pitch was approved, and the boys now had back to back practices! With only two days of coaching, both energetic teams were ready to take on the floor. “The dynamic changed a ton, it was super stressful to get everyone to listen and make sure everyone was safe, but it definitely made everything so much fun because we never usually do stuff with our football team” (Rachel Moreno, Junior on Varsity Cheer Squad). For an inside look into their practices, Brooke Burke, a sophomore on Varsity Cheer, took the liberty to record and vlog their experience.
With their enthusiasm and energy, the cheer squads were able to collaborate with the football team to create a routine and teach them techniques of tumbling and stunting in a very limited amount of time. When asked to compare playing football to cheering, a humorous Chris Gately had a short, yet concise answer: “What was different you may ask? I have three words: NO FULL GASSERS” (for those who are confused on what these are, here is an explanation of what this football workout consists of).
On the day of their performance, the boys brought their A-game to the mats and showed us how they put the “pep” in pep rally. With talking to a few of the cheerleaders, some claimed they were noticeably more nervous for this routine than countless others in the past. The extra muscle on the squad created an unprecedented obstacle, as “It felt a little different to perform with them because usually when we do it, we have to be focused on only us and what we are doing, but this time we had to help them throughout the routine and tell them what was next and what they needed to do” (Lexi Thibodeau, Varsity Cheer Captain). Although challenging, the amateur cheerleading boys stole the show with their energy and intensity, showing true dedication to their routine. Reflecting on his experience, Alwin Lin claimed
“I shall never disregard the pure sentiment I discerned once I hurtled Torey [Helton]. The sheer quantity of people we entertained and who were supporting us, was surreal”
The overall positive response from both teams was astonishing, as everyone had a great time, and also managed to learn more about each other and the sports that they love.
With the epitome of school spirit, our top two teams of Fall Sports were able to come together to perform one of the greatest shows our high school has ever seen! Later that night, the boys went on to win 50-14 against Memorial High School, perhaps due the morale they accumulated from their incredible performance earlier that day. Hesitant to make any promises, both parties are very optimistic and hopeful for the continuance of this routine to hopefully make it a tradition within Bedford High School.
Congratulations to all cheerleaders, with special recognition to our Varsity Football Seniors: Mikey Akstin, Drew Allard, Chris Gately, Tim Greene, Torey Helton, Joey Leary, Alwin Lin, Tyler Spires, Ben Sylvain, Steven Watson, and Ethan Van Heerden.
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