West Harrison High Cheerleaders are back-to-back state champs

By nature, cheerleaders spend just about all their time cheering for other people, but after West Harrison won its second straight MHSAA state championship over the weekend, now they get to cheer for themselves.

Eventually- by nature... cheerleaders spend- just about all their time...- cheering for other people.- but after west harrison won its- second straight m-h-s-a-a state- championship over the weekend..- now they get to - cheer... for themselves.- news 25's grace boyles meets- with the squad coming off their- big win and discusses the team'- journey this season - - <nats: cheering>- while you may have seen the wes- harrison cheer squad on - the sidelines of football and - basketball games, these - boys and girls have earned the- spotlight after bringing home - their second straight state - championship this past- weekend.- the road to states was anything- other than smooth this- year though with the entire tea- having to quarantine for- two weeks earlier in the fall - and having to rearrange - their entire routine the week o- competition due to illness- and injury- heather serpas, west harrison - cheer head coach: "they've been- very resilient and just - easily adapting to changes that- we had to make.

They never- complain.

They- always kept a positive attitude- so that was one of the main - things that stuck out this- year."- john breland: "with covid and - everything, everybody tried to- stay calm and - not worry about too much, - especially when we got- quarantined.

We all just tried- to stay - - - - cool about it and just be okay.- abbey fontane: "it's been - difficult, but it's been really- worth it.

We've been putting in- - - - the effort and the work.

So, it- came together really well.

And- we won, so."- - - - in a normal year, west harrison- competes 4 times a year.

This - year, the hurricanes only had - regionals to prepare for states- despite all the obstacles, the- hurricanes were - crowned champions in the large- co-ed game day category.

Zimyri- boler: "we wanted to make sure- our team could be the best that- it could be.- - - - large co-ed game day category.- zimyria boler: "we wanted to- make sure our team could be the- best that it could be.- and it was really exciting- knowing that we won because we- put so much hard work in, so- many long hours.

And it's like- getting all that back.

It just- felt really good."

Abbey- fontane: "it kinda caught us of- guard because we didn't have- like a traditional awards - ceremony.

So we were just up in- the stands.

And then all of a - sudden we heard our name and- everyone just started to get up- and jumping.

It was like the- most amazing feeling ever, i- think.

Like winning a - competition with a team you've- worked so hard withm it's - honestly the best feeling ever- and i'm just really proud that- we could do that for west - - - - harrison."

This west harrison - squad hasn't always been on the- fast track for championships- though.

That is, until sepras--- herself a former cheerleader- from harrison central where she- and the red rebels were state - champions four years straight,- came in turned the canes into - the championship team they are.- zimyria boler: "my favorite was- winning state for the first tim- because we started out at the - bottom.

We weren't a good team- and then we had our coach come-- ms. serpas-- and she really - helped us and made us the team- we need to be and i'm really- thankful for her."- heather serpas, west harrison - cheer head coach: "they didn't- really believe in - themselves.

There was kind of - like that mentality that they - just expected to lose.

But- we've been working on that, - building them up and this year- they