The Revere High School (RHS) football cheerleading team competed at the Suburban League Championship and took home the victory through teamwork and determination.

On November 9, the cheer team competed at Highland High School and took home a first place banner after winning the competition against nine other teams. It was their first time competing at this particular competition, and for many of them, their last.

Kelly Staats, a cheer coach at RHS since 2018, shared why this victory was so special in comparison to other ones she has had over the years.

“This was a . . .  very nice one because it’s the first time in school history that we’ve brought home the Suburban League banner,” Staats said.

Staats explained the training that went into preparing for the competition, and how the routine must be created to appease a rubric for a competition like this.

“We went to two practices a week, and we used a routine and enhanced it from some things we had done before. With this Suburban League competition, they adopted new rubrics and new scoring, so we had to do the math and calculate how many points we could get. For example, in order to receive points for our tumbling skills, 75% of the team must do that skill or something very close, because if you don’t do 75%, you don’t get the points,” Staats said.

Staats shared just a few of these rules that the squad had to follow.

“We had 13 girls doing it. So you have to calculate how many girls are doing this tumbling pass, how many girls are doing this much standing tumbling, and if you don’t have all 13 of them doing it, then somebody’s got to do it twice,” Staats said.

Staats talked about how these rules affected the team, and how she organized the routine to benefit all of the skills from each member.

“The girls who do standing tucks, we have a lot of them, but we certainly didn’t have all 13. So we had to have them do a standing tuck, maybe another time in the routine. You want to maximize the points and maximize the talent on your squad. That’s how you win,” Staats said.

There is more that goes into winning the competition than just the logistics. Staats shared characteristics of the team that led them to victory.

“Focusing, accountability, being prepared, entertaining your audience equals Suburban League champs,” Staats said.

Ava Farnham, a co-captain of the cheerleading squad and senior at RHS, talked about a challenge leading up to the competition that she had to combat as captain.

“The hardest challenge was getting everybody into a routine that we had already had. Because there were some people that fully knew it and some people that were absolutely brand new to it,” Farnham said.

Farnham explained the added pressure and responsibility with the team due to her position as captain.

“Being a captain, there’s a little more pressure added just because the captains are supposed to be the role model for the team. So you have to be on it almost all the time and just be willing to help out anybody who needs it,” Farnham said.

Staats talked about why co-captains Farnham and Madison Morril were fit to take over as captains this year, and how they have contributed to the team since the beginning.

“They’ve always been kind of the leaders in the tumbling department as far as encouraging the other girls, helping the other girls. They work very, very well together. As a matter of fact, the whole senior class of my girls are a really good working together unit,” Staats said.

Farnham talked about the effect of the competition, and how it not only benefited their reputation, but also heightened their spirits as a team.

“This contributed to our success because it’s really making us confident going into our main competition season. Because last year, when we missed our state cutoff, it didn’t feel good whatsoever. And so, having that win was really uplifting for the team in general,” Farnham said.

Madison Morrill, a co-captain of the cheerleading team and a senior at RHS, talked about the preparation that went into this competition.

“We used our competition team, or competition routine that we had from the past year, and we put in all the new people to varsity into that routine, and we practiced for . . . like two months straight,” Morrill said.

Morrill shared the dynamic of the team and how it has benefited them throughout the season.

“We’re all very supportive of each other, and we’re all willing to get better. It’s a good environment to be around,” Morrill said.

Farnham talked about how Staats led the team to success and what she appreciates about her coaching.

“We’ll do a routine, and then she’ll critique us and tell us what needs to get better. She’s always pushing us to be our best,” Farnham said.

Staats talked about how she went about creating a good relationship with her squad while also maintaining order and ensuring success at competitions.

“So the best way that you can have a good relationship with your athletes is if they know the rules, they know you’re going to follow through. And all I ask is for reasonable expectations. If I ask them to be quiet, it’s a reasonable expectation, a reasonable request. And in turn, if they have something that’s a reasonable request, I’ll honor that too,” Staats said.

Not only was this the last time the seniors would compete at the Suburban League Championships, but it was also the last time for Staats, as she is getting ready to depart from RHS after this school year. She shared a meaningful conversation that she had with the seniors.

“The seniors and I talked about what kind of legacy . . .  we want to leave. Because I’m graduating with them. I had told them a year or so ago, I was ready to leave,” Staats said.

Staats described the sentimental attachment she has to the seniors, and how it has fostered an understanding between them.

“The seniors came with me since they were freshmen. They grew up with me and we spend a lot of time together. So we all know each other’s personalities and I know when they’ve had enough and they know when I’ve had enough,” Staats said.

Staats talked about her goals for the rest of the year after completing their first one.

“The Suburban League was our first goal. We hope we want to qualify for States and do well at States with our comp squad,” Staats said.