Chesapeake cheerleading had been here before: fresh off a disappointing fall season, watching someone else celebrate a state title and just hoping now for glory in the winter.
Those circumstances brought the Cougars to the 2020 crown. But as they waited anxiously in their circle Wednesday night at Harford Community College’s APGFCU Arena, there was a knowing sense about them. The Cougars screamed at the announcement of the score. They screamed before their names were called. They knew then they were Class 3A state champions — but really, it was old news.
“Before we went on the mat, I knew,” senior flyer Liley Simmons said.
With 126.95 points — more than six points more than runner-up St. Charles (123.4) and ahead of Linganore (122.65), Westminster (119), Crofton (117.85) and Wilde Lake (114.4) — Chesapeake completed its winter sweep of county, region and state titles. The Cougars collected their 15th state crown overall — and reestablished their dominance over the county.
Kent Island preceded them, capturing the 2A title with a score of 120.6 to edge Eastern Tech by a mere .4 points. Westlake (117.6) came in third ahead of Sparrows Point (116.25), Hammond (112.1) and Glenelg (110.9).
North Point scored 123.8 points to win the 4A title and beat out Glen Burnie (123.5), South River (122.9), Perry Hall (122.15), Urbana (113.1) and North County (108.5).
McDonough claimed the 1A championship with 119.6 points, finishing ahead of Liberty (113.8), Lackey (113.65), Southern-AA (110.5), North East (110.2) and Harford Tech (103.25).
Cougars coach Lisa Elliott collects a new blue-and-silver ring for each title. Her fingers long ago filled up, but now, she’s even running out of surface area.
But this isn’t just another piece of decoration to Elliott. Chesapeake conquered themselves to get this one.
“This was a tough year. For real,” Elliott said. “We’re super young. There’s this perception of Chesapeake of, ‘Oh, they always win.’ There were 19 kids on the mat tonight and 10 of them have never won a state title before.”
Errors pockmarked Chesapeake’s fall season. It’s not worth remembering, Elliott said, at least, not anymore. Coronavirus affected them, the coach said, along with the other changes that have come with that over the past two years.
A lack of chemistry cost them the title in the fall and chemistry is no easy thing to brew.
“A lot of team bonding,” Simmons said. “Endless practices. Long, long practices. And we came together — and didn’t go backwards.”
They absorbed that after the shock of the second-place finish in the fall. Everything started to click, the coach said, and because of it, Chesapeake finished undefeated this winter.
“We just had to learn. We focused on teamwork more than anything,” she said. “They have to be a family first. The teamwork is the base of all of it.”
Chesapeake ruled the 3A regional and county championships, but they weren’t content to ride those coattails to more hardware. They studied their score sheets from county championships, turned around and drilled tumbling. They repeated stunts if one didn’t work just right. They tweaked the routine where needed.
“It took a lot of hard work and determination and realizing we couldn’t settle for anything less than first,” Jasmin Sanabria said. “And couldn’t get comfortable with any last performance we had. I think it really showed in every competition.”
Perfection sang from every move the Cougars made. Ferocity on the expression of every face of defending champions landed on the table of gold medals before them as they screamed that they were, in fact, the champions.
Tumbling is Chesapeake’s forte — always has been — and the Cougars saw no reason to leave their favorite tool at home. For every flip in the air their competitors tried, the Cougars doubled it. Fliers carved through the air without missing a beat, kicking legs in unison, pulling off smooth basket tosses and falling without fear crossing their face as their competitors had.
“We have a great [choreographer],” Elliott said. “Joe [Vecchioni], is great.”
The night hinted at the possibility of two Anne Arundel champions for the first time. Maryland Public Schools State Cheerleading divided the 4A/3A classification into two this season, and Glen Burnie, fresh off a region championship, had every expectation they could repeat as Class 4A champions.
The Gophers made history in the fall season by earning their first state title in program history, which was then the first championship from any Glen Burnie sport in 22 years. Moreover, no team tried and pulled off more basket tosses than Glen Burnie, a feat even more impressive considering the Gophers don’t have a feeder system.
But for the judges, it all didn’t match what they saw in North Point. The Eagles ultimately took gold, jumping to their feet while the Gophers collected their silver medals.
“I’m very proud of them. It sucks because they get used to winning,” Gophers coach Jami McCoy said. “And we never want a team to get used to winning.”
McCoy saw the sting settle in her cheerleaders, who walked to the bus quietly while others celebrated. She knows the truth of it will hit them soon: they still did something great.
“They’re going to come out stronger next year and I can’t wait,” McCoy said. “I’m excited.”
