On Tuesday January 5, the Lakeland Hawks Varsity basketball team went up against Lewiston in a close match filled with sweat, fouls, and the smell of the gym floor. Cheering them on were not only the parents of the Varsity athletes but for the first time this basketball season the Lakeland Cheer team was able to get on the floor and cheer on the boys with great spirit.

Before the basketball season started, the LHS cheerleaders were informed that they would be unable to cheer for the basketball teams as they went up against other schools.

Then this week, as the governor moved everyone into the further stages of reopening, new rules were put in place allowing 6 cheerleaders to attend the games along with 2 parents per athlete.

Even with the small number being allowed to attend, the cheer team still kept up their spirit as they cheered on the Lakeland Varsity boys with chants of “let’s go Hawks” and cheers like  “Take that Ball Away”. 

As the girls walked into the gym, they were required to wear a mask like all the other attendees, keeping them on as they warmed up and stretched for the game. Then as the buzzer sounded that ended the boys’ warm up time the masks came off and each girl was equipped with a set of poms as they made their way to cheer the boys onto the court.

With the girls rushing out, the sound of the audience and the squeak of the sneakers on the floor, the current cheer coach Cynthia Peck made the comment that the night was “almost like normal” as everyone got ready for the pledge.

Throughout the game the girls did their best to encourage the Lakeland Hawks and rev up the crowd, even though there was barely a student section to rev up. Even during the awkward silence of time-outs in the game, the Lakeland cheer team filled the silence with their voices yelling out one or two cheers in a row. During free throws, the girls would show their support for their fellow Lakeland athlete as he attempted the throw, and they also showed respect whenever a Lewiston athlete stepped up for a free throw. 

Besides yelling out encouragement and cheers, the cheerleaders also showed some skills of their own in an attempt to rev up the crowd. Junior Emma Zelene displayed a series of back handsprings after the second quarter and again after the third quarter.

The Lakeland Cheer team will hopefully continue cheering at the Tuesday and Friday basketball games, showing continuous support for the other athletes of the school in this time of uncertainty.