Three months of long practices and hard workouts came to a fruitful conclusion for the Chugiak High School coed football cheerleading team Friday. Under the direction of coach Joyce Davis, the Mustangs ended Dimond's long reign as the top cheer squad in the Cook Inlet Conference, during a competition held Friday at Bartlett.

Chugiak High School coed football cheerleaders celebrate after taking top honors in the coed varsity football category, as well as the coed competition class, at a competition Friday. The team also won a special award for best stunts. PHOTO by Pal photography

Chugiak won the coed varsity football category, along with the coed competition class. The team also won a special award for best stunts.

"The kids were really excited," Davis said. "They were asking, 'Does this mean that we get a banner hung in the (school's) gymnasium?' It's a huge deal with the team."

Davis said the title actually began with a change in the evaluation method for selecting the squad, established two years ago.

"We used anonymous scoring during tryouts - the (outside) judges don't even know who the girls are, or what grade they are in," the coach said.

That brought some underclassmen, including freshman, onto the squad.

"People thought we were crazy," Davis said.

Two years later, the team wins a conference title.

"This year we have freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors on the team," she said.

Davis said the team enjoyed the synergy of cheering for the Chugiak football team, as they advanced through the playoffs to the state championship game. The Chugiak Football cheerleaders also were looking to hone their performance as the conference competition came on.

"We did a lot with the boys (football) team," Davis said.

The team also did some work with Breast Cancer Awareness month.

"We are trying to get the team more involved with their community," she added.

Like the boys football team, Davis said the team had an upward battle against the larger, more seasoned schools and squads.

"But we were like the little engine that could," she said with a smile.

The team now readies for the State Spirit Coaches Association competition, which will be held Oct. 30 at the AT&T Sports Complex in Anchorage.

Members of the 23-member Coed Cheer team included April Alley, Blake Bautista, Makayla Bell, Ashley Brenton, Kacey Brooker, Matt Coffer, Yvonee Darden, Kaylee Farris, Amanda Humphrey, Rachel Hunter, Madison Miller, Anna Myers, Megan Palmer, Sarah Rackley, Kimberly Smith, Kortney Smole, Kori Stover, Hannah Toohey, Amber Van Ryn, Shawnee Wackerman, Kpria Wilkerson, Jacqueline Zaragoza and Lauren Zink.

Reach the reporter at editor@alaskastar.com.