The high school competition cheer season continues toward the State Championships in Columbus on November 14 and 15 with the 20th Annual Last Chance Cheer Classic planned for Saturday, November 1 at the WCHS gym. Beginning at 9:30 with the middle school division and continuing with two high school sessions, Worth County’s Last Chance promises to be another exciting event featuring advanced level tumbling, awesome pyramids, demanding partner stunts, synchronized dance moves, and jumps that closely resemble flying, all rolled up into two and a- half minute routines of astounding creativity and energy. According to tournament director and Worth County High School competition cheer coach Sue Youngblood, the middle school division is the largest of the competition with fifteen middle schools traveling to Sylvester to compete. According to Youngblood,
“To have so many middle school teams competing is an indication that our sport is continuing to grow and progress. Every competition we have been to this year has featured a large middle school division. There’s a great deal of enthusiasm for competitive cheerleading on that level, and since those are the programs that feed into and build our high school squads, it’s encouraging to see so many young cheerleaders building their skills for the future. We have a great line-up of middle schools – some of the best in the state – that will be throwing some advanced level routines here at Last Chance. Eight Street Middle School from Tifton, Lee County’s Middle School team, and the newest middle school from Lowndes County – Pine Grove – have been close in points all season, and they will be challenged by a group that on any given Saturday can be highly competitive. This division promises to be most entertaining!”
The first high school division begins at approximately 11:30 with the AAAA competition first, followed by the Single A teams from Turner, Mitchell County, Schley County and Irwin County. Worth County’s 1-AAAA region now includes Bainbridge and Thomas County Central, and also features Westover HS, competing again after a layoff of several years, as well Americus-Sumter and the defending region champions from Crisp County.
The second high school division will feature AA teams from Fiztgerald, Thomasville, Bacon County and Berrien County, which is coached by Worth County native Jennifer Hurd Peacock. The JV competition will feature the Lee County and Ware County teams, and the 6A competition will show off the teams from Tifton, Colquitt County, Lowndes and Lee County. The afternoon will conclude with one 5A team, Ware County, and the Co-Ed team from Camden County.
The labor force behind the twentieth edition of Last Chance continues to be the Worth County High School and Worth Middle School competition cheer parents. “We never imagined all those years ago that from that first year of thirteen cheer teams on our campus that Last Chance would grow into the experience it has become. From the beginning 20 years ago, cheer parents have been willing to devote their time, energy, initiative, and effort to making Last Chance a success for our school and for our community. Worth County is the home of the largest cheer competition in South Georgia, and I know that we are very fortunate to have, year after year, the continued commitment of cheer parents to make this event a great success. I would be amiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank the many cheer parents who have worked Last Chance. They continue to leave a tremendous legacy for future cheer parents. It’s fun to host Last Chance and to have a hand in bringing some great cheer talent to our campus. We expect to have another great day of amazing cheer routines presented at Last Chance on November 1. If you’ve never seen the live action of cheer competition, come to Last Chance and be prepared to be amazed,” Coach Youngblood offered.
Routines will be judged by Columbus Judges Association, which is trained and certified by the Georgia High School Association. Routines are limited to 2 ½ minutes and are judged based on the GHSA rubric which awards the greatest number of points in the areas of standing and running tumbling, jumps, pyramids and partner stunts, all of which are judged according to their degree of difficulty and execution, with additional points awarded to cheer/chant, dance, transitions, showmanship, and creativity.
The Worth County competition cheerleaders this season placed first at both the Greyhound Cheer Classic in Milledgeville and the Southern Spirit Showdown hosted by Lowndes High School, and finished second at the Best of the Best Cheer Competition at Veterans High School on October 18. Both Worth Middle School, coached by Hope Inman and Nancy Burrell, and the Worth County High School competition cheerleaders will compete at Last Chance on November 1. Admissions cost is $7.00 and Worth County Century Club passes will be honored.
