It’s no secret that the Tigers brought home several impressive awards from the Cheer State Championship. In their first year competing in the CO-ED division, the Tigers won 1st place for Band Chant, came in 3rd place for Fight Song, and placed 7th for Crowd-Leading all in Preliminary Competition. Then, after advancing to the Finals, the Tigers placed 8th overall in the state, came in 4th for Crowd-Leading, and 8th place for Band Chant/Fight Song.
Varsity Cheer Coach, Kayci Smith, says that while Frenship stepped into a new division this year they knew they would have to face some tough competition, but that didn’t slow them down. One of their goals was to place higher than the 5x State Champion, and now the Tigers have checked that goal off their list.
“We had a goal going into the completion. We wanted to score better and show them who Wolfforth Frenship is. The amount of pride I felt watching them perform, I knew we did just that. I felt so much pride, I couldn't stop smiling,” said Coach Smith.
Winning Best Band Chant in the State of Texas is a big accomplishment. The team started preparing for the competition back in April. After several early morning practices and busy class periods, the team decided to adjust the traditional fight song routine for their UIL routine. This change set the team up for success at the championship.
“This helped with muscle memory throughout the year and reminded us of our overall goal,” said Coach Smith. “We then started to work on the band chant. We knew we loved it from day one. It felt special and unique. We took some risks, but they sure did pay off. We finished with the crowd leading portion, and that one was a work in progress. We changed it up a lot from October to December. We just never fell in love with it, until one day it all clicked, and our UIL material was complete.”
JV Cheer Coach, Mallory Hayes, is a Frenship High School Cheer Alumni, so returning to the UIL State Competition gave her the opportunity to relate and connect with the athletes on a unique level.
“It was a whole new ballgame! While it is different, having a background as a Frenship cheerleader has helped tremendously,” said Coach Hayes. “I competed at UIL only 4 years ago, so I remember the feeling of excitement and eagerness quite well. Looking at this competition from a coach's perspective differs completely from an athlete's perspective. As a coach, you want your team to do well obviously, but you also look to see that they are leaving with a great experience and with stronger relationships within their team. I believe that we achieved just that and so much more!”
Coach Hayes feels proud to be a Frenship Tiger and is proud of the team’s impact at the competition.
“It was amazing getting to see other teams and other coaches coming up to our kids to congratulate them and to wish them good luck. We came into a huge competition, where not many knew our name, and left with them knowing exactly who we were. I could not be prouder of this team. No Frenship cheer team has ever placed first in ANY category. They truly left a legacy for teams to come,” said Coach Hayes.
Like Coach Hayes, Freshman Cheer Coach Michal Morelos has visited the UIL State Cheer competition in the past as well. Having experience traveling with different schools served the Tigers well in the CO-ED division.
“I have now been to State with 3 different schools, and this is the first time I have won a State title for a best of category and have gotten in the top 10. I knew this team was different when I first arrived back in the summer, and I am extremely excited to see where this program can go in the future,” said Coach Morelos.
If Coach Morelos had to describe the team in one word it would be: hardworking. The team has proven that success means putting in long hours and giving every performance 100% of their energy.
“This team has the hardest workers together on one team that I have ever been a part of as a coach. The Tigers were hungry to compete and put in the work since March to make sure we went to State and made a name for Frenship High School in the CO-ED division,” said Coach Morelos.
Before UIL, the Tigers set several goals for themselves this year. A few of those goals included, making the top 10, defeating the 5x state champs, winning a state award, and representing Frenship ISD well. The Tigers walked away from the championship proudly accomplishing each goal with pride and humility.
“We did set out to accomplish a lot of stuff in our first year competing in a new division. The fact that we were able to check off everything on our list says a lot about the work that everyone on the team put in,” said Coach Morelos. “I could not be any prouder of this team for having the confidence and mindset to go out there and leave everything on the mat so we could accomplish all our goals.”
This year has been special for Coach Smith. With several challenges along the way and unknown factors stacked against the team, it feels special coming out on the other side as victorious.
“It's hard to put into words the feelings I felt that day. I cried. I ugly-cried the second the last beat of our fight song played. I have never felt so much pride and excitement for a team. I KNEW in my heart they just performed the BEST I have ever seen them perform. I ran to the team and looked around and we were all ugly crying. It was a feeling I will never forget,” said Coach Smith.
To watch the Frenship High School Cheer State UIL Performances, CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Great job, Tigers! Frenship is proud of your dedication!
Photos by: Camden Reese, Frenship High School Junior