Cheer season opens Saturday

Published 10:42 pm Thursday, September 20, 2007

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County High competition cheerleading squad is coming off its most successful season and coach Patti Merritt hopes it was a season to build on.

The Lady Packers open the 2007 season today at Camden County, competing against Lowndes, Jenkins and Valdosta.

Last year, Colquitt County advanced to the state sectionals for the first time and posted the school’s highest score, a 220.

Colquitt was just nine points from the top eight, which would have meant a trip to the finals.

“We hope to make is a successful yar like last year,” Merritt said. “We definitely have the talent and compared to where we were this time last year, we are a lot more solid.”

Veterans of last year’s team are senior flyer Christin Smith, junior main base Sara Clayton, junior back Bonnie O’Neal, senior flyer Brittany Bell, senior main base Jessica Harvin, junior side base Kate Reeves, senior back and captain Tabatha Radcliff, side base/ back Casey Kilgore, flyer Callie Land, main base Ashton Eunice, flyer Laura Murphy, main base Jana Duncan, side base Anna Hall and back Laura Stripling.

Also competing this year are Christian Davis, Taylor Yost, Lori Sherling and Kaley Hamilton.

Merritt said Land and Murphy are pulling double fulls with their stunt groups and O’Neal is throwing a round full for her tumbling pass. Eunice, Hall and Bell are throwing standing tucks in the routine.

“By regions, we hope to have all four stunt groups pulling double fulls, six standing tucks and two more rounds of fulls,” Merritt said.

Colquitt will compete again on Sept 29 at Ware County, on Oct. 6 at Shaw in Columbus and on Oct. 27 at Worth. Region competition is Nov. 3.