Breaking the 700-pt. barrier goal
of HLHS cheerleaders

December 6, 2007

"Whatever it
takes."

That is the theme of Houghton Lake High School
varsity competitive cheer team this season. Coach Celeste Kubiak
said her girls' goal is to break the 700-point barrier.

"We have to break
700," she said. "That's what's gonna get
us to states."

The varsity 'Cats set a
team record in the 2005-06 season at their Cheer on the Lake invitational
with a final score of 692.8, breaking their previous record of 669. The
highest score of the 2006- 07 season was 651.1.

Kubiak said all of the football cheerleaders
returned for the competitive cheer season, which features seniors Patsy
Gardner, Stephanie Foster, Jacqueline Hallauer,
Jessica Hoke and Jaynelle
Hoke.

"Our emphasis on
tumbling the past few years is starting to pay off,' Kubiak
said.

The team hosted a
Champion cheer camp last summer, and many cheerleaders have attended
gymnastics clinics offered by teacher and former varsity coach Michelle
Johnson.

Houghton Lake's JV Coach Becky Homan said her
team's theme this year is "building a legacy."

"We're a lot better
than past years already, tumbling-wise," she said. "We have more
skills, 10 [girls who can do] back-overs, and six
back handsprings."

The JV team will field 12
members.

Kubiak said Houghton Lake
will compete in Division III this year, and that teams are not necessarily
divided by class anymore. Houghton
Lake will host Regional
competition this year and the Bobcats will be among 17 teams competing for a
top two finish and a trip to the state finals. Among those the Bobcats will
compete against is Chippewa Hills, last year's champion in the division.

"We'd love to beat
Chip Hills," she said.