Cheer team: Key members sidelined for last football game due to injuries

This fall has proven that football players are not the only ones getting hurt on the field.

After experiencing several injuries this season, only 11 out of 14 cheer team members will be cheering on the Falcons during the away game vs. Los Gatos on Nov. 4. As a result, the cheer team has planned to not perform any stunts on the sidelines of the field.

At the first home game on Aug. 26, senior captain Hayley Williamson fractured her wrist while kicking on the sidelines. Since Williamson played a vital part of the base in one of the main stunt groups, the entire team was unable to perform their first halftime show.

However, after two months of recovery, Williamson was able to cheer during her senior day on the last home game on Oct. 14.

“Since I didn’t get to cheer at most of the football games this season, I was so happy that I recovered in time for the last home game,” Williamson said.

Although Williamson will be able to cheer for the Falcons during the Los Gatos game, she has not been cleared to stunt. This leaves the team still struggling to find a solution to their lack of members in strong enough condition for stunts.

In addition to Williamson’s injury, sophomore Sophia Shetler is recovering from a concussion she received on Oct. 5 when she was working as a back spot for her stunt group during practice and freshman Stacey Boboricken lost her balance and fell onto Shetler’s head.

     “I passed out and I felt a shooting pain go through my head,” said Shetler. “I was confused because I didn’t really recognize that it was a concussion at first because I’d never gotten one before.”

      Now lacking Shelter as a backspot and Williamson as captain, the team cannot safely perform the stunts, as they only perform active stunts when the entire team is healthy. Despite the loss of members to injuries and removal of stunts from their performance, the team is looking forward to cheering at future games.

“Even though we’re missing some people, we are gonna try to be as sharp as possible, look our best and have fun at the Los Gatos game,” said junior Mya Pai.