The Gloucester High School cheerleading squad continued their winning streak at the New England Competition, which was hosted at Southern New Hampshire University, on March 17th, 2018.

“It’s the super bowl of the New England Cheer Competition!” said GHS cheer coach Erica Mitchell.

Fourteen cheerleaders took the mat and hit every part of their routine, and topped seventeen co-ed teams. With a total score of 202.7, the cheerleaders took the trophy and represent Gloucester as the New England champions.

“I’m really proud of the entire team,” said senior captain Talia Sanfilippo. “You could see a huge improvement from last week because we focused on details during practice. The little things in the routine matter!”

“I couldn’t be more excited with how New England’s turned out,” said Mitchell. “The drive these athletes had to want to perform to the best of their ability was amazing.

According to Mitchell, the team’s goal for the season was earning a score of 200.

“I am so proud they proved that they could compete with the best of the best,” she continued. “We just dominated the day. A 202.7 just went above and beyond what we were hoping for.”

“I knew we were more than capable to put on an amazing performance,” said junior Macy Thornton. “Our coach pushed us all season to be the best we could be and in the end all the hard work paid off. I’m so incredibly proud of every single one of my girls that stepped on the mat! It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

The team had their eyes on the prize and were determined to win the title of New England champions.

“During the day of the competition, we had a great mentality from the start. The team remained relax and composed throughout the entire day. this performance was the best one we have had the entire season,” said Sanfilippo. “The team finally clicked and perfectly fit together, and I couldn’t be any more proud! This was such an amazing experience.”

Mitchell stressed that the team’s “focus and positivity on Saturday was of a winning nature.”

“When I walked into the gym Saturday morning for their warm up before heading on the bus, I could instantly tell they were a different team,” said choreographer and Celtics cheerleader coach Eric Bichao. “They all had a focused look on their faces and looked ready to warm up their routine. They were locked in. When they arrived to SNHU and warmed up, the other teams were intently watching. They were ready.  When they setup on the competition mat to perform they were so electric the entire gym was cheering. Things clicked at the right time for them.”

Many obstacles were thrown at them, but they overcame all of them as a team.

“It has been a long year filled with injuries, illnesses, and other circumstances for this team.” said Bichao. “Because of this, the team has never been able to have any consistency or continuity all year and it has shown in their performances. Even though they would have mistakes when they performed they were still able to win every competition because their difficulty and choreography were superior.”

The team is currently in Orlando, Florida to compete for the national championship.

“I feel very prepared for nationals and I know we’re gonna be able to make everyone back home proud,” said Thornton.