By Matt Browning
Lesly Blosser is the cheer coach for Caldwell High School, but there is a unique circumstance for Caldwell and neighboring school South Haven during football season.
“During the fall, we combine cheer squads to support the (South Sumner Outlaws),” Blosser said. “In the winter, our cheer team splits back into individual school squads, and we cheer as the Bluejay cheer team for Caldwell High School basketball.”
By having two different teams, tryouts are unique.
“This was our first year implementing separate tryouts for fall and winter teams, which initially made me nervous, but it has been incredibly successful,” Blosser said. “Students in small schools juggle many commitments, and this approach allows more flexibility and benefits our teams tremendously. We hold tryouts in the spring for the South Sumner Outlaws cheer team, selecting the top 12 scorers from Caldwell and South Haven. In October, we conduct separate tryouts for the Bluejay winter cheer team, requiring cheerleaders to meet a minimum score and earn a spot, even if they were on the fall team.”
When Blosser first started coaching cheer, there were only four or five members on the team. But since then she has strived to grow the team for the betterment of game nights.
“With a full squad, our presence is stronger, our voices are louder, and the energy we bring to games is undeniable,” Blosser said. “An effective cheer team can completely shift the atmosphere of a game. One well timed cheer can energize the crowd and refocus the team after a tough play or questionable call.”
The lone senior on this year’s team is Maddy Doyle.
“Maddy has been an incredible asset to both the Outlaw and Bluejay teams, cheering all four years of high school and three years in middle school,” Blosser said. “Her passion for cheerleading is evident in how she engages the crowd and leads by example.”
