Cheer champions

Rochester High School squad set to defend state title

BY DAN STICKRADT

STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY JOHN STORMZAND | STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHER

Rochester High School's cheerleading
team will compete for another state championship Saturday in Grand Rapids.

The Rochester
High Falcons won a regional championship last weekend, setting the stage
for the team to defend its state crown.

Rochester High School's cheer team and the
state finals are like peanut butter and jelly. They simply belong together.

In fact, they have
been for more than two decades now.

The Falcons advanced
to the state finals for the 24th straight time, winning their 18th
consecutive regional championship March 4 at Lake Orion.
Ranked No. 1 in the state entering the postseason, Rochester
compiled a three-round score of 717.1 to advance to the MHSAA Class A state
finals this Saturday in Grand Rapids.

"I know we can do
it, but we have to be more consistent with our routines," Rochester coach Susan
Wood said about defending the school's Class A state title. "We have 20
new kids on our team this year, but we do have nine returning state
champions."

The Falcons topped the
14-school field, with Lake Orion finishing second with 692.8 points and Stoney Creek High School placing third with 683.6
points. The top two teams from each regional advance to the MHSAA state
finals.

Rochester, which finished first in all three
rounds, has been one of the state's most dominating teams dating back to
1983, when it first started competing in the Michigan Cheerleading Coaches
Association tournament.

The Falcons have won
17 league championships, 19 regionals, 10 state
championships (nine in the MHSAA tournament) and finished in the runner-up
slot four times.

"We've had a lot
of alumni that have dropped by practices and basketball games in the past
couple weeks, a lot that were on spring break, to talk to the girls,"
said Wood. "They know what it takes to succeed. We hope to keep it going
this season."

Originally published March
9, 2006