Hoosac Valley Hosts Cheer Competition on Sunday

CHESHIRE, Mass. — With basketball and hockey tournament pairings due on Saturday, there are no high school games in Berkshire County this weekend.

But there will be plenty to cheer about at Hoosac Valley High School just the same.

The league championships for Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley will be held at Hoosac on Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Hurricanes will compete for the Berkshire County title against squads from Wahconah, Drury and Pittsfield. Mount Everett’s team also will be competing in the event’s new “Game Day” division. Meanwhile, about 15 Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference squads will make the trip west to decide their league champion.

All squads will be competing for a shot at the March 6 regional meet at Shepherd Hill in Dudley.

This is the first competition in a few years at Hoosac Valley, said first-year coach Kayleigh Colombero, who revived the school’s competitive cheer program in September.

“The Western Mass rep reached out to me because they know I’ve coached other teams in the past,” she said.

Colombero coached at Hopkins Academy and Springfield's Renaissance School before returning to the Berkshires for a teaching position at Hoosac, her alma mater, three years ago.

“It’s a little overwhelming [to host the league meet], but it’s a really good fund-raiser. And more importantly, it’s a nice thing to bring to your school

“What better way to attract kids than to show people what really good competitive cheerleading looks like?”

Actually, Colombero has had plenty of success recruiting girls to her squad already. The host Hurricanes bring a squad of 17 to Sunday’s competition, which begins with 90 minutes of warm-ups at 10:30 followed by competition at 1.

For the first time this year, the event will feature both traditional competitive routines and the new Game Day event.

“Teams that do that do all the elements you would do at a game: a quick half-time, a timeout and a chant,” Colombero said. “Someone will be on the mic saying, ‘The offense is driving down the field,’ and you need to cheer them on, or they’ll announce a timeout.

“It’s pretty cool. A lot of coaches like to focus on the game material because sometimes it feels like you’re choosing between competition and games. Competition routines are very different from what you do at games. It always feels like a tossup what you focus on.”

Admission to Sunday’s competition is $7 for adults, $5 for students or seniors. Concessions will be available.