KHS slips to 9th place at 4A state cheer
KHS CHEERLEADERS perform a the Class 4A state competition Saturday in Tulsa. The team received 234.6 points, which was good for ninth place. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
It wasn’t the performance Carma Reagan wanted or expected.
But, said the Kingfisher High School cheer coach, what happened at the Class 4Astatecompetitiondoesn’t have to define this team.
Kingfisher had a disappointing showing during its routine at Union High School in Tulsa.
Flaws in the performance resulted in a score of 234.6 points, which placed KHS ninth.
“Basically, the team I had prepared for three months forgot to come out of the warmup room,” Reagan said. “They looked great 10 minutes before we walked out on the mat.”
Kingfisher suffered a setback five days before state. In last Monday’s practice, sophomore Harlie Waeger suffered a concussion and was unable to compete.
That forced a change to the back stunt in the routine.
“But I was calm coming out on the floor because the warmup was so good,” Reagan said. “But it just wasn’t our day.”
Crossings Christian won 4A for the second straight year and fifth time in six years with a score of 267.6. Bristow was the state runner- up with 265.8 points.
A couple of days after state, Reagan sent a message to her team.
“Saturday wasn’t our best, and I think WE ALL know it,” she wrote. “But one bad performance doesn’t erase the hours of hard work we put in. What matters is what we do next.
“We can either let this define us, or we can take it as a lesson and get better.”
The next step for KHS cheer is the Game Day competition.
The regional is Nov. 8 and state is Nov. 14-15.
There are 50 teams that compete in 4A in the Game Day competition. Only 15 advance to state.
“Lots of schools have stopped doing the OSSAA competitive cheer competition and focus only on Game Day,” Reagan said. “So it definitely won’t be an easy road to state.” But, Reagan told her team it’s one they can navigate with continued hard work.
“Starting today, we lock in, we hold ourselves and each other accountable, we move on and we push harder,” she said to her team. “Like I’ve said for months, I believe in this team, but as we saw Saturday, belief alone won’t cut it — we have to earn it.
“So if you want to have your name called at Game Day state, you have to do better, get better and be all in. Let’s use these really low moments we had Saturday to come back and prove who we really are.
“You have another chance at becoming a champion.”