North Desoto cheer wins back-to-back national titles

STONEWALL, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — North Desoto cheer has become quite the powerhouse. The Lady Griffins have won back-to-back NCA High School National Championships since the program started competing four years ago.

“When you sit down and think about how crazy it is that these groups of girls from Stonewall went to Dallas, Texas and won a national title two times in a row,” explained North Desoto cheer’s head coach Emilie Parker. “That’s not really heard of.”

The road to victory was far from easy for the Lady Griffins. When the cheer team started competing four years ago, it was rough when North Desoto finished in last place. 

“When we went in that first year,” recalled senior co-caption Abagail Mcinnis. “We saw what we needed to be and the type of team we would have to be to win.”

“The first year that we got last was the most important year,” reflected Coach Parker. “It showed (the girls) that if they don’t work for it”…”you’re going to get last.”

Once the Lady Griffins got back to Stonewall, they hit the ground running ready to improve their skills and performance.

The team had to practice outside on the football field during the summer, and then inside the school cafeteria on mats that were about half the size of a competition floor, due to lack of space available.

Throughout that process North Desoto cheer has been conditioned to adapt and excel, with the memory of that first-year loss burning in the back of their minds. 

“After we came back the next summer,” remembered senior captain Katelyn Cory. “We literally stuck that seventh place trophy out on the turf where we practice during the summer and that was our motivation when we wanted to give up.

The second year that North Desoto cheer competed at NCA High School Nationals they finished in third, but the Lady Griffins weren’t satisfied.

They kept putting in the hard work and it finally paid off last year when North Desoto cheer won the national title. 

“The moment when you stand up, run to the podium, lift the trophy, they pop the confetti and you get your jackets,” explained Mcinnis. “It’s exhilarating. A once in a lifetime chance.”

A once in a lifetime chance that the Lady Griffins got to experience all over again.

North Desoto was determined to keep building off of last year’s national title, and they succeeded and won back-to-back NCA High School National Champions. 

“I just thought how did we do this,” admitted Coach Parker. “I mean this school has 800 kids and we’re competing against other schools that have 3000 kids. It was just a crazy feeling that I can’t believe these girls just did this.”