The Game Day Cheerleading State Championship will take to the air this Friday at Columbus State University where four divisions will compete for state titles with returning talent highlighting the field.
Those experienced and determined teams are led by two-time defending champion North Gwinnett in Class 7A, Lee County in Class 5A-6A, Mary Persons in Class 3A-4A and Vidalia in Class 1A-2A.
The championships will take place throughout the day Friday with Classes 5A-6A and 7A competing in the morning session before the finals at 1 p.m. with the lower classes (1A-2A, 3A-4A) taking the afternoon slot with the finals scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
In Class 7A, defending-champion North Gwinnett will face stiff competition from quality teams including Hillgrove, Campbell, Parkview, Marietta, Meadowcreek, Cherokee, Lambert, Mountain View, Mill Creek, Peachtree Ridge, Buford, Collins Hill, Archer, Richmond Hill and Camden County. Last year, North Gwinnett scored 97.28 points and edged runner-up South Forsyth (94.30) to capture the championship.
TIME TO DEFEND
In Class 5A-6A, defending-champion Lee County will be joined by powerhouse programs like Newnan, Woodward Academy, Lithia Springs, Woodstock, Locust Grove, North Forsyth, Lanier, Thomas County Central, Gainesville, Apalachee, Habersham Central, South Effingham, Calhoun, Effingham County and Mays. Last season, Lee County scored 94 points and narrowly bested runner-up Lanier (93.35) to secure the title.
In Class 3A-4A, defending-champion Mary Persons will take to the stage trying to beat a lot of competitors including Heritage, Hardaway, North Oconee, Morgan County, Madison County, Wayne County, Cedartown, Sonoraville, Sandy Creek, Troup County, Calvary Day, West Laurens, LaFayette and Douglass. Last season, Mary Persons scored 89.70 points and won the title by upending the sitting champion Morgan County (88.75), which finished runner up.
In Class 1A-2A, defending-champion Vidalia will face a vast amount of talent from programs like Whitefield Academy, Dodge County, Heard County, Schley County, Cook County, Banks County, KIPP Charter, Jeff Davis, Brooks County, Swainsboro, Temple, Haralson County, Pepperell, Toombs County, Thomson, Dade County and Jordan. Vidalia scored 90.25 points and bested runner-up Commerce (88.98) last season to secure the championship.
SHOW OFF SCHOOL SPIRIT
The Game Day format highlights the school spirit and unmatched routines of each program. Each competing team will be given a chance to display its best sideline and crowd-leading segment in the categories of Fight Song, Band Chant and Crowd Leading.
In the Crowd Leading chant portion, a buzzer will begin the time and this can be used as a transition to the floor routine. This performance encourages crowd involvement and the team’s ability to motivate an audience. The Fight Song is performed in a one-minute time limit of recorded band music. During this, each team will be allowed up to three consecutive eight counts with stunts, tumbling and jumps. The same skill restrictions of the Crowd Leading are applied to the Fight Song segment.
When teams set up and take the floor there will be a three-minute time limit that will begin with the first beat of a Band Chant music. This starts one continuous performance that demonstrates each of the Game Day elements. Additionally, there will be a situational element added after the qualifying round to test the group’s ability to adjust on the fly, like they would on game day. This will be either an offensive or defensive situation that will come from an announcer-led queue.
Throughout the event, there are certain rules and skills restrictions including no basket, sponge or elevator tosses allowed, no inversions, no twisting release dismounts, and no running or tumbling. It’s notable that single-leg extended stunts are limited to liberties and liberty hitches while standing tumbling is limited to one skill at a time with a back tuck being the most elite tumbling skill allowed.
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