By Justin Adams | [email protected]

In just its second year of existence, the Mountain Ridge High drill team took home the region championship trophy.

“To see these girls who had everything going against them, to come out on top was such a great feeling as a coach,” head coach Blaikly Lever said. 

This year, the team had to overcome two hurdles: the challenges of being an extremely young program and of course, COVID-19.

In its inaugural year, the Mountain Ridge drill team had just 11 girls. 

“Because it’s such a huge time commitment, and such a competitive sport, it was hard for people to want to leave nearby high schools to join a coach they didn’t really know. That first year, those 11 girls really put trust into each other as the program,” Lever said.

Despite their small numbers, they performed well in their first year, which Lever said helped to attract more girls to the program in year two. They ended up nearly doubling their numbers, from 11 to 21. 

There was cause for a lot of positivity when that team emerged from auditions last March. Then COVID-19 hit the United States, throwing this year’s season into doubt.

“We started out not knowing if we’d have a season,” Lever said. “With drill team, it’s an all-year sport. We have team auditions in March then practice all summer long. We perform at football games in the fall then our season starts in November and goes through February. They don’t really get a break. For a lot of these girls, they didn’t know if they’d get to do the one thing they do all year.”

Luckily, the team was able to practice during the summer (wearing masks the whole time). In the fall, they were able to perform during halftime of all but the last football game of the season. For their regular competitions, however, COVID-19 made a big impact.

“Drill team relies heavily on spectator support,” Lever explained. “It’s two and a half minutes of intense cardio. They rely on those cheers. It was really hard the first competition [without it].”

In the absence of a raucous crowd to hype them up, Lever said her team found ways to cheer one another on both before and during their performances. That’s just one example of how the trials of this year forced the team to come together and rely on one another.

Leading the team in that regard were seniors Chloe Burt (team president), Kiana Irvine and Alli Jenson (co-captains).

“When we learned about COVID, they were so positive. Some of the girls were kind of sad throughout the year, but my three seniors really stepped up and helped the team find that fight and drive,” Lever said. 

The team’s reliance on one another led them through a successful season, culminating in a tie for the top score at their regional meet.

“This season was so rewarding to see them rise above those hardships. Honestly these girls had the most successful season I’ve seen from any drill team. I can’t wait to see where this program goes,” Lever said. 

Tryouts for next year’s drill team will take place March 22 and 23. Those interested in trying out can find more information on the school’s website.