Stoughton Cheerleaders raising money at a past fundraiser held at the VFW.

The “STO-UGH-T-O-N” chant filled the King Philip gymnasium on October 30, 2010 as the Cheerleading Hockomock Championships took place.

If any team had bad luck it was Stoughton. Prior to the day of the championships, one of their bases, sophomore Annemarie Fronduto, hurt her thumb. This caused a minor setback but the girls went on, rearranging the routine to fill the empty space.

Stoughton High ended up overcoming their injuries to finish 6^th out of 10 teams and first overall in division two.

“The dance was amazing, these girls really showed off how hard they trained through their dance routine,” said Coach Barbara Mofford.

The enthusiasm showed by this team was commendable along with their other strong points. These points consisted of exceptional motions and voices. They really showed the voices that they had proving just how much they wanted to leave the mat with high scores.

Despite the ‘pros’ of their routine, there were some ‘cons’. As hard as they practiced and as much as they prepared for this, their pyramid did not hit. This means that they did not land it. The cheerleaders fell and tumbled onto one another causing another setback but still, they trooped on.

Stoughton got back to their feet and finished off their routine with great devotion.

“It was upsetting to not hit the one move we’ve been pushing for, but we still had out strong points. The judges noticed that and that’s all we can ask for,” said junior Lauren Cellucci.

When asked what it takes to get ready for Hocks, junior Rachel Resurreccion replied, “It takes a lot of practice. Not just practice at the gym but practice at home. You must constantly be going over your routine perfecting it every step of the way.”

Attleboro finished on top, followed by Franklin and King Phillip. Attleboro has always been the team to beat and Stoughton intends to eventually out stunt them and come out on top.

The scores received by the Knights were enough to push them into Regionals, which is the next step before states. The training doesn’t stop until they achieve the best. If they have their goal set in their minds, then it will show in their spirits on and off the mat. The spirit to win and the will to succeed are measured one stunt at a time.  

“We know what we have to work for and believe me, these girls will be dedicated to cheer until it happens,” said assistant coach Emma Burke.

Hocks may be over, but competitions are still lined up for these cheerleaders. So, cheer for them like they’ve cheered for us. Be the best supporters you can be for the squad who always supports you. Show them you appreciate the encouragement they give.

Shalyn Hiltz and Evelyn Falkof posing for a picture at a recent football game.

Stoughton gets ready to compete at Hocks.