After receiving fifth place in the 2024 Maryland cheerleading state competition, Damascus started their 2025 competition season with vengeance in mind. Olivia Grant, one of four team captains, stated the overall mood going into this season was motivation. “We kept calling it our ‘comeback season’ and wanted to do anything to win,” Grant explained. Although their hard work paid off, the road to the title was not an easy one.
These girls worked harder than ever to prove themselves to the state. Lindsay Burns, head coach of the varsity cheer squad, recalled her first thoughts of the season, “On day one, I knew this team was special. They have the most talent out of any squad I’ve ever coached. They never quit.” The motivation of the girls was observed by the coaches. One word Burns used to describe the team was “relentless.” She believes that the girls on the cheer team are some of the most athletic people in the whole school. “Everyone just sees them on the sidelines and goes, ‘Oh, I could do that,’ but it is so much more than just cheering at games,” Burns explained.
The moment the girls finished their routine, they felt instant relief. Grant attempted to explain the feeling, “It’s almost like as soon as we finished and the music stopped, we knew we won. Seeing everyone’s visible response to hitting was the best part of the whole routine. It felt like we just did our job and executed.” Burns corroborated this, “I just felt pride in that moment. After the struggle of last season, it felt rewarding to see the girls accomplish this. I always tell them that their comeback will be greater than their setback.”
Walking away from this season, Burns has many things in mind. She has endless love and appreciation for her senior cheerleaders. “Out of our six seniors, three of them have been with us for all three state championships. These girls put in so much work behind the scenes and are true leaders,” Burns raved with enthusiasm. Going into next season presents a challenge that is dealt with every year. While she has a primarily underclassmen team with raw talent, there will be a hole from her seniors that is hard to fill. Faced with this problem at the start of every season, Burns likes her athletes to establish clear leadership from day one. “We will just continue to rebuild,” Burns claimed.
Make sure you keep an eye out for these Queens next year because with their mindset, they’re coming back even bigger and better.
