As the sun rose at Shoreline Amphitheater Sunday last week, the
line to enter the annual Pop Warner Invitational Cheer Championship
snaked around the parking lot like a sold-out concert.
As the sun rose at Shoreline Amphitheater Sunday last week, the line to enter the annual Pop Warner Invitational Cheer Championship snaked around the parking lot like a sold-out concert.
Over 100 Pop Warner cheerleading teams streamed into the venue to show their stuff in front of the large crowd and 21 judges.
The crowd was peppered with colorful teams dressed from head to toe in crisp clean uniforms and pom-poms, perfectly coiffed curls supported by tons of hair spray, and hands tucked behind their backs, as the logistics of the event moved them from place to place.
The crowd was electric and excited as each team took turns on center stage to showcase several months of hard work, as music poured out of the giant speakers, in front of the thousand member screaming audience. The squads promptly faced the challenge of the competition where each cheerleader bore a unique combination of individual pressure and accountability and the responsibility of true teamwork.
The Morgan Hill Raiders are considered a cheerleading powerhouse in the Bay Area, with a history of hard work, dedication and championship victories. The Raiders shined with a second place finish for the Jr. Pee Wee squad, and a third place for the Midgets. The youngest girls on the Mitey Mite squad had a great exhibition, and hopes are high they will carry the Raiders’ tradition of excellence well into the future.
Next up for the Raider cheer squads will be the championships in Santa Clara on Oct. 30 and then regional competition later in the fall.
