Cheer Champions

THS expects increased interest in March tryouts

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

Tryouts for Temple High’s three cheer squads for next year are coming up on March 9, and head coach Samanatha Nicole Edwards is expecting a flood of candidates.

“We had a lot of success this season, and there is a lot of interest,” she said. “We have three squads — a junior varsity, a varsity and a competition team. We competed in two contests this year and did very well. This is the first year we have competed in traditional competitions, but next year we will open it up and enter more.”

Edwards, a cheerleader at Harker Heights and later at Copperas Cove, is in her second year as head cheer coach at THS.

“I was an assistant for one year and gained some valuable experience,” she said. “Next year will be my third as head coach.”

Temple’s competition squad placed first in a summer competition as first in its division at the 2023 Cheer America State Championships on Jan. 15.

“We did very well,” Edwards said. “This is the first year we’ve had freshmen on the varsity squad, and we had four. Next year we will be more experienced.”

Edwards said the team performed a 2.5 minute routine to music complete with cheers, jumps and tumbling.

“The routine included everything a cheerleader does wrapped into 2.5 minutes. I was proud of our team.”

Members of the Cheer America championship squad were Alyssa Fuentes, Analiyah Gonzales, AnnaSofia Garcia, Aziza Tobe, Diana Marshall, Isabella Waugh, Kendall Sheppard, Kierra Jenkins, Lucy Lewis, Madison Penick, Payton Arrington, Shelbi Avery, Sienna Fuller, Stormi Guinaldo and Tatyana Gonzales.