The football games aren’t just about the players; they are about the Cheerleaders, the mascot, and the marching band. Whether it’s playing music, performing routines, or showcasing dance moves by the mascot, these students did an outstanding job bringing spirit and energy to our school. They are incredibly talented performers who work tirelessly to perfect their routines.
The Mendham Cheer Team is comprised of the scholastic squad and the competition squad. At our football games, 27 scholastic varsity members and 30 junior varsity scholastic members perform to add spirit and energy for the players and fans. Caitlyn Thalacker is one of the captains of the teams. When asked about the importance of the cheer teams and she stated, “It’s really important. I think it lifts the spirit of both our [cheer] team and the football team, and I think it contributes to the crowd spirit as well.”
The scholastic team starts practicing in August and practices 2 to 3 times a week until the end of the football season. As the cheer group is seen as a family to one another, they support each other throughout the season. Often the captains are paired with the freshmen to help guide and make them more comfortable in the routines and on the team. Much of their practice time is spent working on complicated stunts and pyramids that are then showcased in their routines. They continuously build onto the routines throughout the season to demonstrate their developing capabilities, and to push beyond their comfort zone.
The scholastic fall season ended with the last football game, which was unfortunately a loss. However, it was an outstanding season and the team looks forward to the winter basketball season.
While the cheerleading team showcases their talents, the Mendham Mascot is another crucial part of bringing fall sports to life. Anthony Levine is the Mendham Minuteman and is proud to hold this position. Mr. Ryan asked Anthony to be the mascot and he agreed. Being the mascot is important to him as he sees the younger kids coming into the games and how they are excited by him. He said, “You’re going to a new place where people are older than you, and they get to give me high fives, take pictures, and it just makes them super excited to go to high school and less nervous.” Anthony wants the 7th and 8th graders to feel welcome knowing eventually they will go to the high school making them feel included and excited. When discussing his dance moves, Anthony remarked, “You have to have big, exaggerated movements that are almost cartoonish.” For example, he rubs his hands together and nods up and down to show everyone he is pleased with what’s happening. He tries to embody a cartoon character knowing that cartoon characters typically tend to be full of joy and Anthony tries to incorporate his lively and energetic personality onto the field.
Both our cheer team and our mascot were incredible to watch his season. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication.
