On their first day of high school, four girls walked into Cypress Creek High School not expecting they would be the first cheerleaders to participate on the team all four years. Four years of game nights, competitions, and friendships.
Now Genesis Deleon, Jennifer Martinez, Leila Mendoza, and Victoria Salah are walking into their last year of high school, knowing this is the last time they will experience these traditions.
“It’s sad because I’m going to miss them, but it’s neat to see them grow as individuals,” Coach Cheryl Mcgarrah said. “I’m excited to see them grow, but it’s a bit sad cause they were the first group of four. They’re a bit more special.”
Mendoza said she worked her way up to varsity her junior year with practice outside of school. All four girls are on varsity this year.
“I’m most proud of making varsity as a sophomore and becoming an All-American cheerleader,” Salah said.
These four girls have seen it all. They began high school at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought with it a slew of restrictions to follow. Even as COVID restrictions eased, the quad have spent four years attending practices and staying in condition to perform stunts for games and competitions.
Competitions are an important part of their yearly routine where cheerleaders show all the hard work they have put into during and outside of school, but they also provide another bonding experience opportunity.
“My friends and I like to come together at one person’s house and get ready and bring each other’s energies up to ensure we are at our best,” Martinez said.
But behind every sport there are parts not everyone sees – moments in which the team isn’t at its best but each person ensures that everyone strives to reach their full potential.
“I try to bring us closer together by giving each other encouragement,” Deleon said. “If something happens, like falls, I try to say it’s okay and that everyone falls and that you can try again. I just try my hardest to bring a positive attitude to the team.”
But all great stories must come to an end, and the Oct. 28 varsity football game will be a special one for these four – it’s the senior game, and one of the last times the girls will take the field in a Cy Creek cheerleader uniform.