Taunton cheers on B-P cheerleading champs as they head to nationals

Ed Baker, The Taunton Daily Gazette
·3 min read

TAUNTON — It looks like the B-P cheerleading team will be heading to the national championship contest in February in Orlando, Florida.

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School's cheerleading team ended their successful season by winning the state Game Day Championship on Sunday, Nov. 13 hosted by the Massachusetts School Administrators Association at Shrewsbury High School.

And now it looks like the team will get a chance to continue its championship-winning streak in the National High School Cheerleading Championship contest on Feb. 10-12.

B-P Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes said he approved the team's invitation to compete in the national competition which will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

"All we need now is for the cheerleaders' parents to submit permission forms that will allow their daughters to participate," he said.

B-P Athletic Director Mark Lebeda said the cheerleaders' parents have raised "wonderful ladies, and that shows in everything they do."

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School cheerleader team co-captain Mya Pereira expresses her team's appreciation to Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, left, and the City Council for presenting them with congratulatory citations on Nov. 29, 2022.
Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School cheerleader team co-captain Mya Pereira expresses her team's appreciation to Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, left, and the City Council for presenting them with congratulatory citations on Nov. 29, 2022.

B-P defeats 17 teams to win state championship

Coach Jessica Holst said Bristol-Plymouth cheerleaders defeated 17 teams in four competitions that involved performing a band dance, situational cheer motions, crowd-leading chants and maneuvers during a fight song.

"Game Day reflects what cheerleaders do during a real football game," she said.

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Holst said the band dance portion of the competition required cheerleaders to perform a dance routine that they would perform during a sports event.

"The situational cheer involved an announcer calling for the cheerleaders to make offensive or defensive moves that required them to tumble," she said. "The crowd cheerleading chant required the team to make tumbling moves and get the crowd of people there to yell back while they performed. The last thing they did was tumbling and stunt moves while a band played a fight song."

The B-P cheerleading team and coaches had much to smile about on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2002, after the City Council and Mayor Shaunna O'Connell presented them citations for winning the recent state Game Day championship.
The B-P cheerleading team and coaches had much to smile about on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2002, after the City Council and Mayor Shaunna O'Connell presented them citations for winning the recent state Game Day championship.

Holst said the MSAA only allowed highly skilled cheerleaders to participate in these "performance cheer" competitions.

Bristol-Plymouth clinches 'performance cheer' events

Bristol Plymouth's Game Day championship came in the wake of the team's first-place victories during the Trojan Invitational at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School on Nov. 6, the Weymouth Invitational on Oct. 23 and the Mayflower Athletic Conference League championship on Oct. 30.

"They had to be great gymnasts and cheerleaders," she said. "It's not very inclusive."

The B-P cheerleading team and coaches had much to smile about on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2002, after the City Council and Mayor Shaunna O'Connell presented them citations for winning the recent state Game Day championship. Back center are B-P school Committee members Louis Borges and Estele Borges, who is also a Taunton city councilor.
The B-P cheerleading team and coaches had much to smile about on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2002, after the City Council and Mayor Shaunna O'Connell presented them citations for winning the recent state Game Day championship. Back center are B-P school Committee members Louis Borges and Estele Borges, who is also a Taunton city councilor.

Holst said performance cheer "is very similar to all-star cheerleading."

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"The athletes do not say words for most of the performance," she said. "The routine is set to music and sound effects to showcase elite skills."

Holst said her team wanted to participate in the Game Day competition because "it's more inclusive" by allowing all cheerleaders to perform.

"They appreciate each of their teammates for the skills and talent that they bring to the (competition) mat, regardless of what those skills are," she said. "I improved skills and confidence in my Game Day athletes on and off the mat. They are having fun and building life skills in problem-solving and teamwork. That will last a lifetime for them."

'An incredibly challenging sport'

The Taunton City Council and Mayor Shaunna O'Connell congratulated the Bristol-Plymouth cheerleaders on Nov. 29 for their successful season by presenting citations to each teammate.

O'Connell said, "cheerleading is an incredibly challenging sport."

"It takes hours of relentless practice," she said during the citation presentation ceremony.

"I see moms, dads, and grandmothers here bursting with pride on your extraordinary win. We wish you much success."

B-P Cheerleading Co-Captain Mya Pereira said the team means "so much" to her.

"I thank all the Bristol-Plymouth cheerleaders," she said.

"I give a special shout to my mother, dad and our coach. We could not have done it without you guys. We have been so lucky to have you. Thank you so much. The nationals are next."

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Bristol-Plymouth high school cheerleaders heading to nationals