By Jeff Odom
The Wiregrass Ranch cheerleading squad is one of the youngest groups in Pasco County.
With only two seniors and five freshmen, most would expect the Bulls to be looking toward the future for success and take time to build the program. However, that isn’t the case according to coach Dawn Wetherby, who returned to the team this season after a two-year absence to help her daughter and Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer player, Dayton, go on college recruiting trips.
“I absolutely love it, because they just want to go forward,” Wetherby said. “They really just want to work, and from a coaching standpoint that’s icing on the cake.”
It wasn’t easy early on, though.
Just weeks after football season ended, the squad had to begin preparing for the upcoming basketball season and regional competition in early December.
In order to fill some positions on the roster, Wetherby had to bring freshmen up to the varsity level for the first time in her career.
Wetherby, along with assistant coach Brooke DelValle, worked with the girls and practiced three times a week to prepare for the grueling schedule.
The squad responded with the Best of Pasco championship and a third place finish in the Region 2 medium division competition, which Wetherby called amazing.
“It was a big adjustment for me,” Wetherby said. “Their energy level was amazing, and it’s amazing to see how just a couple years can make such a big difference in that. … With these young ladies, they want more.”
Freshman Alicia Rios, whose sister, Leah, signed the first cheerleading scholarship in the program’s seven-year history to Missouri Valley State last March, said the younger girls had to adjust quickly and knows she definitely has some shoes to fill.
“It’s helped us (freshmen) mature, and we’ve just learned from the seniors and the juniors and everyone else, and it’s helpful,” Rios said. “It’s hard because I want to be my own person, but I do look up to (Leah) and try and fill in what she did. She helps me a lot and tells me what’s good and how to do things.”
Ellen Lovelace, who is one of three squad captains along with senior Shannon Fisk and junior Bella LaFerriere, said it wasn’t too difficult getting adjusted to younger girls because of how experienced everyone is.
“We all have cheered before, and so we know that no matter what, we know how to stay focused and become a team,” Lovelace said. “It did take a little while at first because we didn’t mesh, but we were able to practice and we dedicated one practice to the football stuff and competition routine, and we just learned the basketball cheers whenever it was time.”
Aside from the Bulls’ success on the mat, Wetherby has made sure they stay focused in the community as well.
The team frequently performs at different events and has fundraisers to try and gain the attention of residents and business owners to get its name out, all of which is strictly on a volunteer basis.
“I don’t make any of what we call ‘special performances’ mandatory at all, and the attendance we have had has been amazing,” Wetherby said. “They want to come out, they want to be there and that just shows how much they love Wiregrass. Once they get to college and they do cheerleading or they cheer professionally, you have to do these performances and personal appearances. They’re required. So, as we rebuild, I’m trying to set up a system and a program so when they hit that college team they know exactly what to do.”
Even though the Bulls have enjoyed early success, Wetherby is excited for what could be coming down the road.
“Once they get into the groove of what to expect academicwise, practicewise and fatiguewise, then you’ll see in following years why I’m so excited for the future,” Wetherby said. “It’ll be been there, done that. Now, I can take more on, and that’s what’s going to be exciting.”
States are Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Kissimmee Convention Center.
