On Nov. 19, the Picayune Junior High School cheer squad won back-to-back MSHAA State Junior High cheer competitions, marking their third state title in the past six years.

Unlike high school football—which is broken into classes and regions—the state cheer competition is broken down by the size of the cheer squad from each school, entailing large, medium and small categories. With 11 cheerleaders, Picayune Junior High competed in the small category against West Jones Junior High and Ripley and Florence middle schools.

In competition, the teams had only one chance to make a lasting impression on the judges in order to win the state championship, with each team’s performance lasting two minutes and thirty seconds. The Junior High Tide was the first to perform.

“It’s definitely nerve-racking going into this competition because all that we worked hard for this entire year comes down to just two minutes and thirty seconds,” Jessica Smith, Picayune Junior High Cheer Coach, said. “Anything can happen during the performance, which makes it difficult to win.”

Coach Smith and Heidi Arthur said preparing to compete for a state title is never easy, and this year was no exception.

Last year, the Picayune Junior High cheer squad won the Small State Championship title, giving them motivation to begin a legacy.

“The girls were very determined to defend their title and worked extremely hard to achieve that goal,” Smith said. “As a coach, that is what you dream of seeing and we give all the credit to them.”

The Picayune Junior High cheer squad went through rigorous training, which started in July, and competed in multiple competitions in October and November to prepare for the state competition, Smith said.

“The eighth graders stepped up this year and we couldn’t be more proud of the team. They are a very special group of girls,” she said.