Busy season ahead for talented squad

The Whitehall varsity cheerleading squad is ready to show off its talent.

While the fall is the time for the entire team, including junior varsity members, to cheer on the Railroaders, the winter season presents an opportunity for individual members to show off their talents, coaches say.

“We are separated more during the basketball season so you have a chance to see more of their potential as individuals,” said co-head coach Lindsey Brown, who will be joined on the sidelines once again by Rachel Waters. “You get to see their power and their strengths.”

The team which cheers at every home basketball game-boys and girls-is an experienced group after losing only two seniors (Aerial Ramey and Megan Rozell) from last year’s squad.

Seniors Alex Abbott and Marissa Black return as captains and are joined by returnees Katie Barrett, Taelore Black, Carli Varmette, Madisen Coso and Shelby Gladd. The team welcomes five newcomers, some of whom have experience from the fall or the junior varsity level.

Brown said she’s a lot of improvement from the girls in the last few months.

“From October until now, they have grown quite a bit,” she said.

Fans can expect to see more stunts and mounts that what they saw in the fall as the team prepares for the competition season.

“The number of stunts and the complexity is greater during the basketball season,” Brown said, adding the team will perform during halftime of each basketball game. “We’ve been getting together some routines and hopefully we can enter some competitions.

 “Talent wise I would like to see them go because they can be very good,” said Waters.