Routine dreams

Stevenson
captures division, district titles; earn ticket back to state finals

By Sue Teggart

C & G Sports Writer

March 11, 2009

Photo by David Schreiber

The Utica Stevenson cheerleaders gather for a group cheer before a
performance during the Feb. 28 district tournament. The Titans had a
dream season, winning the Macomb Area Conference Red Division, a district
title and qualifying for the MHSAA Division 1 state finals.

The Utica
Stevenson competitive cheer team has a lot to shout about, including being
the only squad from Macomb County to reach the
Michigan High School Athletic Association competitive cheer finals.

Regardless
of how the finals — held March 7, after press time — turned
out, Stevenson had a dream season, winning the Macomb Area Conference Red
Division, capturing a district crown and qualifying for the finals for the
second consecutive year.

“The
girls have been working together since August, not even on the cheerleading
skills aspect but on the family aspect of it,” Stevenson coach
Brianna Lupu said. “We have 32 girls that
would do anything in the world for each other, and then they bring that out
on the floor with them.”

“Since
football season, we’ve been getting ready,” senior and
three-year varsity member Danielle Crosse said. “We won our first
competition, and we kept getting better from there. From the very
beginning, we were working towards the state finals.”

When the
competitive cheer season kicked off, Stevenson was considered one of the
top teams in the area, showing up on the Michigan High School Cheerleading
Coaches and Officials rankings, climbing at one point to as high as fifth.

Lupu said having a self-motivated squad, combined with
strong senior leadership, played a big part in the Titans’ success.

“My
seniors are awesome. It’s funny, because each one of them has a
different strength,” Lupu said of the group
of 10. “One is ‘lead-by-example,’ and one girl is a soccer (player) and understands a coach’s
toughness and bring that aspect into practice. (We) have another that
lightens the mood when things are tense. They all bring something
different.”

The
Titans’ seniors also lead the way during competitions.

“Not
all my seniors are in all rounds, so they can use their strengths while
they’re sitting out to help the girls that are in it,” Lupu said.

At the
Titans’ March 3 practice, Lupu said if the
season were to end that day, she wouldn’t recall the wins, but rather
the teamwork and attitude that prevailed this season.

“The
wins have been an added perk,” Lupu said.
“I’ve never seen a team come together the way this one has.
They all have the common goal. Where one has a weakness, the other one
makes up for it with their strength. It’s really neat, because it
hasn’t had to come from us as coaches. The drive is there.”

The Titans bid farewell
to seniors Bianca Adair, Tayler Aquino, Sara Cornelli, Crosse, Monica D’Angelo,
Rachel Galecki, Caitlin Hogan, Brie Jakubison, Lauren Keeler and Tarra
Wells.