YCHS cheerleaders look forward to football, competition

The York Comprehensive High School cheerleaders broke camp Friday after a week of preparations for the fall football and cheerleader competition seasons.

“We’re really excited about the coming season,” said head varsity cheerleader coach Kelli Burroughs.

Varsity and junior varsity cheerleader tryouts were in May, Burroughs said.

“We started practicing after the tryouts and throughout June and July,” said Burroughs. “We will continue practice through August, getting ready for the football season.”

There are 19 varsity cheerleaders this year, Burroughs said.

“They’re excited for the Aug. 14 Bank of York Scrimmage,” she said. “They will be cheering with the JV cheerleaders at that event. Then, we’ll be heading down to Sumter for the season opener.”

The YCHS cheerleaders have expanded their scope this season to include a competition team against other cheer squads from the Upstate.

“The competition cheerleader team is combined varsity and JV participants,” she said. “We will do our first competition Sept. 29 at Liberty High School. We’re very excited to get back into competition.”

Burroughs said preparations began last year for the return to cheerleader competition. “The parents can see them Sept. 28,” she said. “They can watch what they’re getting ready to do.”

Senior cheerleader Maycee Bryant, who with senior Kinleigh Wilkerson, has been cheering since seventh grade, saw positive changes last season.

“We got new coaches last year,” she said. “The new coaches came in and turned things up a little, but in a good way. They wanted to start mingling competition teams after one year to become the varsity competition team.”

Bryant said in the tryouts, “the top 20 made the competition team.”

While she is excited about the competition season, Wilkerson said the demands will be greater.

“The competition season will be tough,” said Wilkerson. “There will be a lot of stunts to learn, and learning how to do the tumbling and dances. There will be longer practices and harder work.”

Bryant and Wilkerson embrace their role as senior cheerleaders with five years of experience entering this season.

“We’ve been anticipating our senior year,” said Bryant. “Seniors get more privileges, simple stuff you do like teaching other squads. We take on more responsibility.”

Wilkerson said supporting the football team in last year’s state championship appearance is a memory she will cherish forever.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “We became a lot closer last year because we had more time together. Not many people get to cheer at a major college stadium that seats 80,000.”

Amanda Wilkerson embraces her role as head JV cheerleader coach.

“I have 15 JV cheerleaders this year,” she said. “They are wonderful girls. They’ve got lots of talent. They’re eager, excited. They all act like sisters. We’re just one big family.”

Wilkerson said all six incoming ninth-graders cheered at York Middle School last year. “They’ve adjusted well to high school cheering,” she said.

Wilkerson said emphasis is place on conditioning for JV and varsity team members.

“They have a conditioning schedule they received the end of May,” she said. “There are three different workouts. Competitive team members condition at their tumble classes once a week in Rock Hill.”

She added: “We encourage all of the cheerleaders to eat healthy, stay fit and stay hydrated.”

Burroughs said she feels good about the overall cheerleader program at YCHS.

“The kids get along,” she said. “They know each other well and work together.”

She said the 20-member competitive squad will attend camp Aug. 3 and 4 at Irmo High School.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 3:03 PM with the headline "YCHS cheerleaders look forward to football, competition."