Fall football at Carolina Forest High School brings sideline cheer and competition season! Our Carolina Forest High School Varsity Cheerleaders are pumped up and full of excitement for this year. They are taking their energy and talent on the road to participate in upcoming regional and state competitions this fall. JV and Varsity’s first-ever cheer competition of the 2025 season was on September 27, embracing the title of Black Cat Cheer Classic.
The varsity team consists of 29 cheerleaders, comprising of 12 seniors, 11 juniors, three sophomores, and three freshmen.
There is a vast amount of hard work and dedication that goes into being on the team and participating on the team. Our cheerleaders practice five days a week and cheer on Fridays!
Gianna DeFrances, a junior on the team, has been cheering since middle school and started cheering for CFHS as a freshman.
DeFrances shared, “Cheering is so so much fun. Not only are you getting skills down and learning new skills, you are making really strong connections with people, and you grow really close with your team and coaches.”
Coach Payton Todd coaches our Varsity and JV cheerleaders to prepare and train them to be their best.
“The ultimate reward of coaching lies in mentorship, watching 28 individual athletes develop into one cohesive unit on the mat. It’s incredibly satisfying to see them learn essential life lessons through the sport they love, knowing these skills will serve them long after graduation or any championship. This fulfills a purpose far beyond the technical requirements of the role. For me, the greatest thrill of competitions is the electric feeling of watching the athletes truly come alive; that moment of “payday” when they showcase all their intense hard work, after knowing you’ve done everything you can to prepare them,” commented Coach Todd.
However, cheer isn’t all about the girls. Tristin Greene is a senior male on the team.
Greene stated, “A lot of people think that cheer is all girly and not meant for men, but cheer is another really tough sport because of the lifting, the practices, and really tiring conditioning.”
Most people think that cheerleading isn’t a real sport; however, it takes just as much, if not more, hard work and dedication as any other “real” sport.
Students and people who attended the cheer competition on September 27 were in awe watching our cheerleaders.
Alyssa Tobin, a sophomore, attended the Black Cat Cheer Classic.
Tobin shared, “The cheer competition was absolutely amazing to watch. Watching our cheerleaders was really intense, and the energy was high. Also, seeing them win first place was very, very fun.”
It is truly an experience seeing the cheer competitions. There is so much energy, and you’re on the edge of your seat when watching their performances. Everyone should come out to support our CFHS cheerleaders at the upcoming competitions.
