Cobb Cherokee In The Game High School Sports Magazine

Ask the average student at typical high school to name the most demanding  team sports at their school and you’re likely get  answers ranging from football or basketball  to wrestling, or track and field.  One answer you’re unlikely to get is cheerleading.  That is, unless you ask a student who has witnessed a cheerleading competition or one of their grueling  daily practices. The most common perception of cheerleaders is “perky, pretty and popular,” as most fans only see the squad revving up the crowds on Friday night. That there is a debate at all as to whether cheerleading is a sport underscores  the fact that few people realize the talent, sacrifice and athleticism required to excel as a competitive cheerleading squad.

Only recently has the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) come to realize the need to recognize cheerleading as a sanctioned sport.  In The Game High School Sports Magazine felt it was long overdue that we recognize the outstanding athletes comprising some of the top cheer squads in our area.  While Cobb and Cherokee Counties have a number of highly regarded cheer teams, our cover features cheerleaders from four of the area’s most successful squads. Morgan Watson and Abreeanna Walton   are from Allatoona High School, which placed fourth in the 3-A state championship. Brittany Gottfried  and Madison Buchman represent the state’s 5-A runner up, the Lassiter Trojans. Also from Cobb County are North Cobb’s Janie Johnson and Brooke Armbrester. Zoe Yurchuck and Katie Czaja of the Woodstock Wolverines carry the banner for Cherokee County.

A common denominator among outstanding teams in every sport is a highly committed and effective coaching staff. Lassiter’s coach, Cathy A. Zingler, is in her 26th year coaching cheerleading. She has seen the evolution of participation and public perception toward cheerleading. “Competitive cheerleading is relatively new. We started in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s on a hard floor, Now we have two-inch mats that allows tumbling and stunts to be a huge part of the competitive criteria.”  With a very talented crop of freshmen and sophomores, Zingler’s squad exceeded even its own lofty goals with flawless performances, capturing a second region championship en route to their second-place finish at state. “The biggest difference with this year’s team is that all of my girls are truly athletic. They weren’t afraid to try new things. If they didn’t get it initially, they keep working and working. They believed in themselves as a team.” Zingler and her girls feel particularly fortunate to have tremendous support and encouragement from Lassiter’s school community, lead by their principal and athletic director.

Coach Amy Bowles of Woodstock echoes a similar sentiment about Woodstock’s administration and students. “The kids are really great about asking the girls how’d you do on the weekend - because not everybody makes it out to the cheer competition on Saturday. They’re always excited about seeing us do our routine at our pep rally,” Bowles says.

Allatoona High School built on its recent success with a fourth-place finish in the 3-A state championship after finishing second in their region. Their ascent is most notable due to how far they’ve come in the four years that the school has been open. The freshmen who are now seniors remember the team’s inaugural season, when the squad finished dead last. Allatoona’s team placed three girls on the 16-member All-State team.  In addition to excellence on the cheer squad, head coach Amanda Mobley taunts the wide ranging diversity of her 24- member team. “The girls are involved in student government, Beta club, National Honor Society. Some are managers for the baseball team, the wrestling team, as well as other school sports,” Mobley says. “They’re really involved, at school as well as the community. Many of the girls participate on All-Star cheer teams. They take stunt classes, tumbling and other activities to make sure they stay in shape. Cheerleading really is a year round sport.”

Senior All-State cheerleader Morgan Watson of Allatoona is in her 13th year of cheerleading. She credits cheerleading for a great deal of her personal development. “It’s taught me about teamwork, leadership skills, and perseverance as well as giving me self confidence.”

The biggest reasons our area cheerleaders do so well on the state level as well as nationally and beyond is due to the high level of training and competition they receive at area All-Star cheer programs. Cobb County boasts Stingrays, one of the nation’s most recognized and successful All-Star cheer programs. Owner Casey Jones proudly recounts that Stingrays teams have won over 500 national titles since their inception in 2002.  One team won the World Championship four consecutive years.

Jones has been involved with cheerleading for over two decades, since his cheering days at Georgia Southern. He too notes the evolution of cheering. “I’ve watched the sport evolve into its current, very athletic form,” he says. “The kids now are very athletic. They really have to be multifaceted in their ability to dance, gymnastic, acrobatics - cheerleading involves so many types of athletics.” With its stellar reputation, Stingrays is currently full to near capacity with its All-Star teams involving over 800 cheerleaders.

There is a new kid on the block in East Cobb that by all accounts, has the leadership and philosophy that portends future lofty heights as well. Owner Sarah Gosnell a former multiple national titlist herself, opened Legends Elite this year after she and partner Melissa Comano saw the excitement from girls and the community during two very successful competitions. In the first seasons, the teams came on the scene with a splash, winning numerous awards, including a grand championship and best choreography.   As for their target ages, Gosnell says, “We  really want to target girls that really have a passion for this sport. Whether you’re a beginner or whether you have a lot of experience, we really want kids who love the sport. We want to offer a family atmosphere with individualized attention.”