MURRAY, Neb.- Football may be the main focus during fall Friday nights, but there are two
other teams at work.

The Conestoga Cheer Team and Cougarettes Dance Team begin preparation for the football
season months in advance. Both teams learn their routines during the summer. Hadley G, a
junior on the cheer team, said, “We have three practices a week in the summer. One of them at
least we use the whole time to learn all new material.” During their school year, their practices
are dedicated to polishing stunts and cheers that will be used during football games.

The dance team cleans the dance they will perform two weeks before game day. Every move has
to be synchronized and uniform. “We have to make sure everyone looks the same all the time,”
explained Piper G, a junior on the dance team. This process often takes up the entire two-hour
practice.

According to Hadley G and Piper G, this is the easiest sports season to prepare dances and
cheers for. In the winter, they have to balance learning their state routines and perfecting their
halftime performances. For the past nine years, the dance team has won Class C1 Hip Hop. The
cheer team has won C1 Gameday and Non-Tumbling in the last three years. Many of the girls
feel a pressure to carry on a legacy. “The little respect we have comes from our legacy,” stated
Piper G.

As the football season continues, they hope the student body will remember the two teams
supporting them by cheering in return. “Get loud,” requested Hadley G. “Follow our cheers.”