Blue Devils hope to bring home a state title

Friday, March 6, 2009

By Chuck Pleiness,
Macomb Daily Sports Writer

Richmond's competitive cheer team has been driven by one goal and one goal alone this season
— reach the state finals.

The Blue Devils have done just that.

For the third straight year, Richmond will compete for the Division 3
state championship, Saturday at the Delta Plex in Grand Rapids.

"They've been focused from the beginning," said coach Kelli Matthes, who took over the program just two weeks before
the season. "They've had a countdown to the state finals since the first
day of practice."

Now
the Blue Devils will try to continue to improve their finish at the state
meet. Two years ago, they finished ninth. Last year, they placed third.

"We're driven with one goal in mind," senior Melissa Hunter said.
"We know we've got the potential. We had not doubt at the start of the
season we'd be competing in the state finals."

And there's no reason why Richmond won't improve on its third-place
finish a year ago.

The Blue Devils finished the regular season ranked second in the state and
finished first at both the district and regional competitions.

"From day one, we've been a team," senior Kaitlyn
Bishop said. "We've taken criticism well and all worked hard. This is
our goal and this is what we wanted. There was no doubt in my mind we'd make
it back."

Hunter and Bishop are two of 10 seniors that lead this squad.

"To win a title your final year would be amazing," Bishop said.
"All four years of work would all be worth it."

Saturday's meet consists of three rounds that are scored by judges.

The first round is the required round. Teams are scored on two jumps, team
coordination, general impression and precision.

The second round is comprised of a list of skills that teams most choose one
jump, one flexibility, one tumble and two other
elements of their choice off the list. Each skill is given a point value.

The third round is open.

Teams get a minute and a half to perform their routines in the first and
second rounds. The third round can go as long as two and a half minutes.

One advantage the Blue Devils have heading in is they compete with the
maximum number of competitors allowed in one routine at a time. The minimum
allowed to compete is four.

Competing with 16 gives Richmond, which has 23 members on the
team, a higher competitive multiplier in every round. However, that also
could be a negative since there is more room for error with the larger number
competing.

"Everyone on the team contributes," Hunter said. "We all want
the same thing. We're motivated for the same thing and we all want it
bad."

The other advantage the Blue Devils have is where they drew to perform in
each round. They go third in Round 1, second in Round 2 and first in Round 3.

"We like to set the tone and show the judges what they need to look
for," Bishop said.

"They were very happy when we learned of the draw," Matthes said.

The No. 1 team in the state, Comstock Park, is also still alive in the
competition.

Earlier this season, the Blue Devils competed at the Delta Plex where they faced Comstock Park.

"We finished third that day," Matthes
said.

Remus Chippewa Hills, Holland Christian and Ovid
Elsie will also compete Saturday. They're the third-, fourth- and
fifth-ranked teams in the state, respectively.

A line in one of Richmond's cheers states, "There is
no I on this team."

It's that kind of bond that has gotten the Blue Devils back to the state
finals.