BY
DAVID RICHARDS - EDITOR@SIERRASTAR.COM
PHOTOS BY DAVID RICHARDS
The Yosemite cheer team has practiced as a coed squad for three
weeks.
Members of the Yosemite High School cheer squad, now co-ed as competitions
near, take part in a recent practice.
For
the past three weeks, five Yosemite High School male football players
and one male cross country runner have joined the 11 varsity female
cheerleaders on their quest to place well at upcoming cheer competitions.
The newcomers, who practice their cheer drills when they don’t have
football and cross country responsibilities, have been recruited
to create a coed cheerleading squad, something that hasn’t been
done at YHS for years.
In between mastering their football and cross country skills, the
newest members of the cheer team are mastering dance steps and toe
touches.
“It’s hard,” said right tackle Kyle Harders.
“It’s harder (than football) in a different way, but that’s because
I’m so used to football. I’ve already pulled muscles and gotten
hit in the face.”
The Yosemite High School coed cheerleading squad opens up competition
at 9 a.m. this Saturday (Nov. 13) with a qualifier at Clovis East
High School for the possibilities of attending Nationals at Disneyland
next spring.
“I’m confident in their abilities and I think they have every intention
on going down there and winning first place,” said Sarah Johnson,
YHS JV cheer coach.
After the qualifier, the squad will next perform at the Clovis Classic
Jan. 31 before taking the stage at an independent competition planned
for Magic Mountain Feb. 26.
“We can do more stunts that we couldn’t do before,” said senior
co-captain Heather Hyatt, of her new teammates.
“They also make us less stressed and make us laugh.”
Harders is joined on the squad by YHS quarterback Shawn Long, defensive
back Kyle O’Neil, defensive lineman Steven Rasmussen, linebacker
Nathan Merkle and cross country runner Arthur Hernandez.
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