Owen cheer hoists state championship banner

Traditional routine takes top spot at 2025 NCCCA competition

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 5, 2025

The Owen cheer team won its first NCCCA State Championship, Feb. 1, with a flawless performance in the Traditional category. Courtesy photo

A season interrupted by a devastating natural disaster reached a triumphant climax, Feb. 1, as the Owen High School cheer team captured its first N.C. Cheerleading Coaching Association State Championship.

The 15-member team earned the top spot for its traditional routine, unofficially titled “Our Hometown Dance,” while placing second in the Game Day routine category.

The victory was an emotional moment for the squad, according to head coach Taylee Newhouse, in her 10th year in the role.

“The music for our routine starts out by saying, ‘all I want to do is make my hometown proud,’” she said. “Our hometown has been through so much, this music and routine really meant so much to our cheerleaders.”

Owen, which was unable to compete in the NCCCA competition last year, was the smallest co-ed team in the tournament, held at Davey County High School in Mocksville. The program finished second in the Game Day No-Tumbling Coed D2 category last December at the 2024 NCHSAA Cheerleading Invitational in Raleigh.

“The game day routine mimics the performances you see us perform at the football games, and we have a great sideline team,” said Newhouse, who co-coaches the program with Brittany Ledford. “As a competition category it’s a little newer in the cheer world, and we started developing that more around five or six years ago."

While Owen honed its Game Day set, which features a dance, band chant and the school’s fight song, throughout the fall athletic season, the team was unable to learn the more complex traditional routine until late last year.

“When Helene hit, we already had our Game Day routine put together and looking nice,” Newhouse said. “Once we came back from being out of school, we couldn’t work on the traditional routine until December.”

The county and western themed act opened with a pair of stunts, which were executed perfectly in the NCCCSA competition, according to the coach.

“We really weren’t sure what to expect going into the competition,” Newhouse said. “But, when we saw them complete those first stunts, we felt like they could get through it without any missteps.”

The Owen cheerleading team performs at the 2025 NCCCA State Championship, Feb. 1., winning the Traditional category and finishing second in the Game Day competition. Photo by Tiffany Aceto

Owen cheerleaders completed the performance with no point deductions.

“I knew they were going to do a great job, but I couldn’t have imagined how flawlessly they executed the entire routine” Newhouse said. “I’m so proud of them, and I know they are proud to do this for the Valley.”

The achievement is a milestone for the program, which Newhouse cheered for while attending Owen.

“I just thought, ‘finally,’” she said. “We’ve had amazing teams in the past, and last year’s team was wonderful. Two years ago we came in second by the smallest margin, so I’m grateful these kids get to experience this and understand their hard work is paying off.”

She credits the team’s close bond and commitment to the sport for the continued growth of the program.

“A lot of teams fall apart near the end of basketball season, but this team stays together,” Newhouse said. “We love these kids and they love each other, and this program is built around their shared love for cheerleading. They’re already talking about wanting to come back in March when softball and baseball are playing. We are all so proud of what we have built.”