“They work together, they help the ones who are having a hard time. This is one of the best groups that I’ve had in a long time.”
It’s appropriate to be writing about the Bonac cheer squad at the holidays, because cheers are a lot like Christmas songs. The classics are so popular that a new hit doesn’t come around all that often. “Victory” and “Don’t Fool” are among their most popular cheers, but this group is doing their best to change it up, and Coach Johnson encourages them.
“There’s a new flavor of cheerleading now and we’re trying to catch up with that,” Johnson said. “I left it to them this year to be more in charge of coaching and in charge of teaching. They’re the ones that pretty much run the show.”
“Peanut Butter in a Cup” is one of their signature cheers.
“Peanut butter in a cup. We sing this song to pump us up. Bang bang choo choo train. Come on Bonac, do your thang!”
The juniors Sophia Diaz and Valentina Arango are the team captains who lead the charge, and they’re doing their best to come up with winning cheers on the fly.
“The other day we made up a cheer in the middle of the game,” Diaz said. “It just comes to us.”
Diaz is the one responsible for the team’s leg-writing and sparkles. She says she got a little carried away buying paint and glitter at the start of the season. “I just feel like it’s a way to show your school spirit and your Bonac pride.”
Alibett Uyaguari is one of two freshmen on the team. She asked about cheer tryouts in gym class on her very first day of school. “I always dreamed of being a cheerleader since I was a little girl,” Uyaguari said. “I love how the captains teach us new cheers and how you can be part of the games instead of just being in the bleachers watching.”
Her favorite cheer is “Don’t Fool.”
“Don’t fool. Don’t fool. Don’t fool with the cool ‘cause the cool don’t fool. Don’t mess. Don’t mess. Don’t mess with the best ‘cause the best don’t mess.”
If the girls look composed on the football field or basketball court, you’ve been fooled. Every member of the team says they get stage fright, especially at away games. “We care a lot about when it comes to other people judging us, mostly from the opposing team,” Arango said. “They like to make fun of us, but we try our best to let it not get into our heads.”
There’s actually very little room for negativity in their heads. They’re too busy keeping up with the game, so they know which cheer to pull from their roster. “We have to pay attention to whether they’re on defense or offense and know when they’re going to score -- or in football, when they tackle a quarterback or when they’re going to kick after the touchdown -- so you just really have to be ready,” Arango said.
This fall, the girls loved traveling with Bonac football to away games, and supporting their high school team’s playoff run. Bianna Garces, a junior, says no matter the weather, Friday night lights are the best. “I think it’s fun being outside and going to different schools and meeting other cheer teams and going to Friday night games.”
This winter they cheer for boys and girls basketball most often, and practice nearly every day in the high school cafeteria. Before their interviews for this story, they were doing a holiday gift exchange at one of the cafe tables and looked more like a family than a sports team.
“I love being a part of a group that is more than a team,” said Stephanie Bacuilima Calle, a senior. “They’re my closest friends. They’re very fun to be around. I wouldn’t change anything about this group. They are amazing people, each one of them, and they all bring their own spark to this team.”
Some members of this team are actually family, like Kaylah Smiley, a sophomore who is also Coach Johnson’s granddaughter. She says she loves cheering with her grandmother in charge. “She’s super nice. She makes really good choices,” Smiley said. “I always did cheer when I was little, so it’s a big thing that I do it in high school. I just love cheer.”
The girls don’t do stunts, which keeps them out of competitive cheer, but that doesn’t matter much to them. They’d love to travel to a competition to watch and learn, but they’re committed to practicing, even if they can’t do stunts or tumble. “It’s a team effort. Everyone lifts each other up,” said Yazmin Pinedo, a senior. “While we’re not stunting yet, we’re still looking out for each other.”
Liann Valentin, another senior, agrees. Even though it wasn’t her idea to join the squad “I have a lot of friends here,” Valentin said. “I was convinced to join by a few people, and I decided it might be something I enjoy and I do. It’s a good place to be.”
