BHS Cheer brings home national title

Is Disney the most magical place on earth?
Well, for one small town school in Kentucky it sure was this weekend. The Barbourville High School Cheer Team from Knox County became a real life Cinderella Story. This small school with less than 700 kids K-12 got a late bid to the National High School Cheer Competition and was able to compete in 2 divisions. Many assumed this team would go perform one time in each division and be sent home with a grateful heart to have been the 2nd team in school history to compete on a National stage. But these girls had different plans. After completing their first performance on Friday in Small Game Day, they awaited the results, heads bowed, hearts full, they heard Barbourville High School from Knox County Kentucky come from the announcers mouth. They erupted, history makers, the first team in school history to make it to the semi finals in this National event.
Day 2, Saturday morning they perform again in Small Game Day. A few hours later, BHS is announced again, and moving into the finals. But they couldn’t rest, they weren’t finished. They had to prepare for the next routine in JV Intermediate DII. This is the big one and the routine they had worked so hard to perfect. One small team with one Big Dream, taking the floor knowing they have to be perfect for the next 2 and half minutes in front of a packed ESPN Arena and in front of 1000’s watching on TV across the country. They leave it all on that floor and walk off knowing they just gave the best performance of their lives. All they can do now is wait and see where they place. 2 hours later at 9:30 pm. All these girls, coaches, parents, and family were hudled into one small hotel room watching live on TV. They knew the #1 ranked team with the highest score will be announced last. The room goes silent. The announcer starts calling teams. The final team called... Barbourville High School. With the highest score of the division with an 86.1 out of a possible 90. These girls were almost perfect for that 2 and half minutes.
Day 3 and they know they are not returning back to that small town in Kentucky without a trophy, but will they be wearing white coats with National Champions emblazoned across the back? They perform in Game Day at 8am, then a couple hours later, the top 18 teams in the nation are called to the stage. Name after name called, each time holding their breath, top 10 and we are still in, top 5 and we are still here. Then, #4 in the Nation, Barbourville High School. They erupt again, the team that most expected to be done on Friday just got a big trophy to bring back to their school and community. Now all that’s left is to push those nerves and emotions down one more time and give a National Champion performance on that JV Intermediate DII stage one last time. The lights swirl across the floor, let’s welcome to the stage Barbourville High School, as the crowd chants BHS - BHS. 2 and a half minutes later, everything was left on that floor but was it enough? Congratulations Barbourville High School, National Champions!
This team had a dream of bringing home a National Title and they did it. But they couldn’t have done it without the help of our community and local businesses stepping in and insuring they could go. Thanks to everyone who helped make this dream come true!
The “Little School” from School Street, is now known nationally and holds one of the biggest and most recognized titles, NHSCC National Champions.