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Moffat County High School cheerleaders making some noise

Andy Bockelman
From left
Andy Bockelman

As members of Moffat County High SchoolMoffat County High School sports teams take to the field or the court to sprint, catch, tackle and more, there are also those who are also putting their athleticism to the test in rooting them on to victory. sports teams take to the field or the court to sprint, catch, tackle and more, there are also those who are also putting their athleticism to the test in rooting them on to victory.

Moffat County High School sports teams take to the field or the court to sprint, catch, tackle and more, there are also those who are also putting their athleticism to the test in rooting them on to victory.

The MCHS cheerleaders will be back in action this winter, using their brief break between football season and basketball and wrestling to regroup and reenergize to put on the best possible experience for fans of the Bulldogs.

First-year Moffat County coach Stacey Ortega recently hosted tryouts to bolster the squad’s ranks, with the goal of making the indoor sports as exciting as the Friday nights at the Bulldog Proving Grounds.



“It’s been quite a learning experience,” she said of the first round of sports in the school year. “Hopefully, this next season we’re going to push off of that and grow even more.”

Moving into the gym will allow them to incorporate more music into their pep performances.



“We’ll have all-new cheers and routines and be a lot more present,” she said.

Numbers have fluctuated for the team over the fall, and some cheerleaders will be spending the winter season engaged in other activities, but the core of the group this year consists of several dedicated to keeping up the school’s spirit.

Captain Mariah Bangs is in her first year cheering through MCHS, but the senior has been with the sport for more than a decade.

“I did All-Star for 12 years, it’s like a competitive cheer thing,” she said, noting she takes pride in being in a leadership role.

Likewise, freshman Alyssa Chavez has spent many years in the Moffat County Thunder Cheer program and All-Star.

“The dancing and learning all the words to the cheers is a lot different,” she said of the new structure of cheering specifically through her school.

MCHS cheer was joined on multiple occasions this season — including Homecoming and the football team’s home playoff game — by younger holders of the pom-poms, such as Craig Middle School, Thunder Cheer and the Doak Walker football cheer team, showing what smaller but no less spirited athletes might be able to do in the years to come.

Ortega’s daughter, Maya Scogin, is a sophomore in her first year at MCHS, anxiously anticipating what Bulldog basketball and wrestling might be like from a cheerleader’s perspective.

“I’m looking forward to all the excitement, because I’ve heard it gets pretty rowdy,” she grinned.

Sophomore Katie Haskins is one of few girls returning to the team from last year, hoping to be able to perform more stunts and provide more volume. And, though cheering at football games was fun, it’s the upcoming season she prefers.

“I love the basketball games, all the energy is great,” she said.

Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.


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