The Amador stunt season started off with a bang as the team took on California High School in the Livermore High School gym. The first game of the stunt season, Amador was able to defeat their rival 13-12, while showcasing new and exciting routines to the audience.

“I think Friday’s game was a huge success for the stunt team. Especially for being our first game, we all put in effort, and it paid off,” said Stunt Captain Riley Ladue (‘22).

The majority of the Amador stunt team started the year as cheerleaders back in Fall. In the spring, the athletes get to take on new roles, competing in games against other high schools where they are scored on the expertise of their routines. 

“It is way different from other cheer seasons because in stunt, you focus on more technique and the athletic component of cheer. It is a varsity sport, so we also have to do harder levels than we would on sideline or competition cheer,” said Stunt Athlete Savanna Harper (‘23).

Each game has four quarters, each one featuring a different type of routine. Partner stunts come first where there is a base and a flier working together.  Then comes the pyramids and tosses which feature a wider range of athletes in the second quarter. In the second half of the game is when the jumpers get their chance to shine with the jumps and tumbling routines. To end the game, the final quarter brings everything together with a team performance.

“Each quarter gets a certain amount of points and whoever has the most wins the stunt game,” said Harper.

With a wide range of athletes that have bonded together through their love of cheer, the stunt team has expanded to around 40 athletes and is still growing in popularity. 

“[Stunt] is the fastest growing female sport,” said Ladue.

The stunt team practices under the guidance of Coach Alex Jagoe, Coach Katie Rodriguez, Coach Eileen Drury, and Coach Fiona Mchugh. The team meets up around 3 days a week to practice for two hours after school, repeatedly going over routines to make sure they go smoothly on game day.

“We have practiced a lot since tryouts. We have put in a lot of work and effort. I would say that with the practices we have given 110% effort, so I think that will pay off,” said New Stunt Member Isabella Vollgraf (‘24).

Due to its many complexities, many enthusiastic new members are still trying to navigate the new rules and differences from sideline cheer, and getting a feel for which position they strive in.

“Cheer is one of my favorite sports that I have done. I love cheer all in general, and this is my first year in stunt so I can not fully compare it yet,” said Vollgraf.

Practices  give a chance for underclassmen to learn from their upperclassmen captains and leaders. Practices also offer  teammates a chance to bond with each other, as they need to be well coordinated on and off the mat to give a seamless performance.

“As a captain, I believe our role is to be a good teammate to all the girls and help everyone feel confident in what we are competing for. And as we have younger girls on the team, it’s our job to be a good role model to them and help educate them about the sport,” said Ladue.

Amador Valley is hosting a stunt game here on April first, open to many schools to compete against each other in the gym. The cheerleaders are working hard in order to prepare for their home meet, determined to make their school proud.