JCHS misses out on top 5

NEW CASTLE — In cheerleading, it all comes down to about two-and-a-half minutes, no second chances.

Sometimes everything hits. Others, it does not.

Saturday evening marked one of those “other” times for the Jay County High School cheerleaders, who fell short of a top-five finish in the Varsity B division at the Indiana Cheer Championship State Finals.

“I think it definitely shows that when you get to a state level, a state competition, you have to hit,” said JCHS coach Ashley Loucks. “We didn’t execute that today.”

Pendleton Heights reclaimed the Varsity B state title it had won in 2013 and ’14 as it combined a routine with a high level of difficulty and a performance with few miscues. Jasper, which had the cleanest routine in the division, finished as the runner-up, followed by 2016 champion Bishop Dwenger, Greenfield-Central and Lowell.

Other champions were Noblesville in Varsity A, Silver Creek in Varsity C, Knightstown in Varsity D and Carmel in both co-ed and timeout.

The Patriots had already proven their ability to be not just one of the best, but the best, in the state. A week earlier they posted the highest score, with no deductions, in the Varsity B division during the ICC preliminaries at Greenfield-Central.

Jay County opened fairly strong at the state finals. There were a couple of bobbles on early stunts, but they stayed in the air. Tumbling and jumps were typically top-notch.

But a stunt fell with a flyer going all the way to the mat, resulting in a three-point deduction, during the cheer portion of the routine.

The Patriots tried to get the momentum back during the dance portion of the routine, but the final pyramid was off-kilter as well.

“The first third was really, really, really good,” said Loucks. “And I don’t know if nerves got to the girls when we got to our cheer or what it was …

“I thought they had great energy. … I honestly don’t know what happened in the cheer. And then I feel like after that we felt defeated. …

“Our pyramid was not the pyramid that Jay County can execute.”

The result was not what JCHS was looking for after finishing fourth at the ICC state finals a year ago and later placing seventh at the Universal Cheerleaders Association nationals.

The Patriots will have a chance at redemption in two weeks as they will compete at the Hoosier Championship on Nov. 19 at Pendleton Heights with a national berth on the line.

“I’m still incredibly proud of these girls. They’ve overcome a lot these last couple weeks,” she said. Those challenges included an injury that sidelined senior Breea Liette for both the ICC preliminaries and state finals. “I just, I wanted it so bad for them.

“I guess our next step right now is we refocus and we regroup and we move forward and hopefully this really lights a fire underneath them and we go out super strong for Hoosier. We need to get that national bid.”