ACCS cheer shows spirit at camp

Published 12:02 am Thursday, June 26, 2014

Editor’s note: Information printed in Thursday’s edition contained incorrect information on portions of Adams County Christian School’s trip to the UCA camp at Mississippi College. The information has been corrected. We regret the error and are happy to set the record straight.

NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School cheer coach Amanda Dill promised to prance around in unique attire in front of the entire shool during the Rebels’ first pep rally — but she said it would be worth it.

Dill told her cheer team that if they won the banana — an award given to one squad with the most spirit each night at the UCA camp at Mississippi College — she would allow the team to dress her up for the pep rally.

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“It’s important because they showed their spirit,” Dill said. “Its about more than a pretty suit and cheering, it’s getting people proud of their school and themselves. I want them to see that ACCS is something to be proud of.

“So I told them if they won the banana, they could dress me up for the first pep rally.”

The Lady Rebels draped Dill in miss-matched clothes and a unique hairstyle, and Dill said she has never been so proud to be out of style.

The cheer squad also were crowned the Xtreme (dance) routine champions, and won the superior squad trophy, including third place in sideline cheer.

Dill said the best part about winning the routine award is the hard work put in by the team. The team captain, Brooke Allen, was responsible for choreographing the HomePom dance routine.

“I told her when we first started practicing ‘I’m giving you the lead,’” Dill said. “The (judges) told her that the choreography was awesome and even one of the UCA cheerleaders said she loved it.”

Allen said she has accepted her role as the team captain, and when Dill called upon her to mold their routine, she happily stepped up to the challenge.

“I was excited because I like making up dances,” Allen said. “I wasn’t expecting us to win, but once we got there we all straightened up and got a little sharper.”

As ACCS won the Xtreme routine and Trinity Episcopal Day School were crowned the game day champions, Dill said she was proud of the representation of Natchez in Clinton.

As Cathedral’s Watts was selected to try out to become a UCA cheerleader, so was Allen.

“(That moment) was so exciting, I cried,” Allen said. “It is such an honor.”

Allen, Anna Babb and Alexis Hennington were all selected to the camp’s All-American team.

Dill said she was proud of the trio for snagging the honors.

Dill said the most important thing they learned at camp was how to come together as a unit.

“I think they understand now that you have to communicate, and it showed in their routine,” Dill said. “(Babb) did a split then a flip and she had two spotters, if you did not work together, (the stunt) wasn’t going to work. That’s what I wanted them to see, they have to depend on each other.”