The Lisbon High School Cheering squad, performing the routine that won then the the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
AUGUSTA — The Lisbon cheering team has one goal for every time it performs its routine: be clean.
Perfect is a pipe dream, but clean is attainable, and it can be the key to attain championships.
The Greyhounds achieved that goal Saturday morning and reached one of their season goals by capturing a second consecutive Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center.
“They were clean,” Lisbon coach Nicole Adams said. “We did have a couple bobbles, but it was nothing serious, they recovered from them.”
The Greyhounds finished with a score of 67.5 to easily out-pace runner-up Sacopee Valley, which scored 55.3.
“It feels really good because we work so hard for it every single day,” Lisbon senior Sydney Douglass said. “We preach to them, the underclassmen, that no matter what happens on the mat to keep going and don’t take the smile off your face because that’s what’s going to make it or break it. If you just drop everything, then there’s no way that you’re going to even get a chance to try to redeem yourself.”
It was the third title in four years for Lisbon’s senior class. The Greyhounds will look to duplicate that feat at the state championship in two weeks.
“I have a strong group of seniors, very good core there, and they want it. They want it bad this year,” Adams said.
Sacopee Valley, the runner-up two years ago and fourth at regionals last year, just edged out out Monmouth for the second spot Saturday, 55.3 to 55.1.
The Mustangs, who left the floor after their routine with a down look on their faces, were “very pleased” with the third-place finish, according to coach Shannon Fields.
“They were shooting for second this year, but some stunts fell that we weren’t expecting,” Fields said. “That’s OK. We’re going to states. We’re going to pick it up and hit them there.
“We were really close. We were 0.2 from second place, so I think that they can overcome that small portion really, really easily.”
Fields admitted that her team was nervous, taking the floor second out of eight teams and not getting a chance to see any any other teams before performing.
Lisbon didn’t either, but that was all part of Adams’ plan.
“We take them out back,” Adams said. “So besides the first team, they didn’t see anybody else. I keep them away.”
Lisbon senior Savannah Czechalski said there were nerves from her team, too, but trust in the routine and learning how to deal with mistakes in practice helps calm them.
“We’re obviously nervous because it’s like the pre-competition butterflies, but I really think that we did really good at keeping it calm and performing,” Czechalski said.
Wiscasset (fourth, 51.7), last year’s runner-up Dirigo (fifth, 46.8), and Boothbay (sixth, 45.1) all qualified for the Class C state championship, to be held at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on February 10.
They’ll all be gunning for a state title that the Greyhounds want to keep a hold of.
“We are beyond excited (to defend),” Czechalski said. “I really just want to take it all. It’s our senior year, we might as well go out with a bang. And we’re only getting better from here. So we’re going to really up the bar.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
The Lisbon High School Cheering squad, performing the routine that won then the the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)The Lisbon High School Cheering squad, performing the routine that won then the the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)The Lisbon High School Cheering squad, performing the routine that won then the the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)The Madison Cheering squad wait for the results of the Class C South regional cheerleading competition at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)(Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)The Monmouth Cheerleaders react to the results of the Class C South regional cheerleading competition at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)(Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)Lisbon High School cheerleaders celebrate after winning the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)Lisbon High School cheerleaders celebrate after winning the Class C South regional title at Augusta Civic Center on Saturday morning. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
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