Our Bob Jones competition cheer team is heading to their State competition on November 19th. Throughout this season, they have faced many obstacles but have pushed through them! At their Regional competition, they scored an 88.9, receiving a bid to the Nationals competition in Orlando, Florida in February 2025. At the Super Regionals competition, the team got first place with a score of 91.5, securing a bid for State.
This season the team has a new head coach, Brad Jefferson, more known as Coach J. This year he took on the role of head cheer coach while also being a track coach. He pushes and motivates the team to be a better version of themselves everyday. After asking Coach J about the team’s plan for state he responded, “We are going to practice every day, focus on the small details, perfect the routine, work hard, and then win.” The team has practice everyday during third block where they go through their routine over and over until it’s perfect. They work on flags, signs, motions, megaphones, being loud, facial expressions, stunts, tumbling, and many more details that make a routine turn from good into great!
The team this year consists of 25 girls who both cheer at football games and compete. As of now there are 19 girls on the team that compete. Coach J has set a system up where one of the girls who doesn’t compete can challenge one of the spots of the people who do compete. Senior Amara Wanninger said, “I believe that the system Coach J made really benefits us because it motivates every single person on the team to try harder and do their best at all times.”
The Bob Jones cheer team hasn’t won the Super Regional competition since 2010. Super Regionals is the competition that leads teams into the State competition. On November 19th the girls will compete at State against the same teams that they competed against at Super Regionals and more. Since they won Super Regionals this year, they have a higher chance of doing better at State. The judges, other teams, and coaches will expect a great performance from our Patriots cheerleading team.
Come out, support the team, and wish them good luck at their State competition! It will be held at the Bill Harris Arena- Birmingham Crossplex. The more support they have, the better!
