CALLAHAN, Fla. – They are one of the most dominant cheerleading programs in state history.
The secret to West Nassau’s success — repetition.
The Warriors have been so good at going to the state tournament and dominating, that the pattern and production stand the test of time.
“I don’t think that the preparation changes year after year. I think that we kind of do what we can to kind of keep things the same,” said West Nassau coach Samantha Beazley. “Kind of like if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The only thing broken around the Warriors are records.
West Nassau ranks second in state history with 10 state championships, just two back of Orlando Bishop Moore. The Warriors are tied with Strawberry Crest for most consecutive state titles. West Nassau has won seven straight crowns and goes after its eighth in a row on Wednesday evening on the campus of the University of Florida.
Bartram Trail is a defending state champion in Class 2A and competes on Tuesday. In Class 1A, Baldwin, Bishop Snyder, Providence and St. Augustine join the Warriors on Wednesday in attempting to defend state championships in their respective disciplines.
Wednesday also marks National Girls and Women in Sports Day, along with the 50th anniversary of the landmark Title IX legislation. And barring some serious upsets in Gainesville, several local teams will likely be celebrating titles of their own on that historic day.
“I think just the legacy that you know alumni, people that have come before you have built,” said Warriors senior Morgan Kincade. “It’s very important to remember as you go into each competition thinking about what you have to uphold.”
The legacy is one thing.
West Nassau cheerleaders know the tradition long before they’re even in middle school. Kincade, now in her third year with the program, said the development from the start of the year to the end is difficult to put in words. The trust in a teammate on a stunt team may be shaky when practice first begins. By the end of the season when the state tournament rolls around, it’s an unbreakable bond.
“Coming in and getting to know and develop a bond with each of these people is like really crazy,” she said. “And it’s insane how you can look at someone a completely different way at the end of the season versus the beginning. And the bonds that you create, it’s just unmatched. You can’t get it anywhere else.”
Senior teammate Mackenzie Witt echoed Kincade’s words about trust.
In a sport that requires precision timing and technical aspects like a gymnast would utilize, believing in the girl next to you or the boy helping hold a cheerleader up in the air is imperative.
“Definitely the trust that we build with each other,” she said. “We come in here every single day and we all know that we’re working hard and we’re all putting in the effort. And just to know that if you’re in one stunt group that there’s three other people and an extra person standing behind you and they all got your back.”