Brittni Sharp, head varsity cheer coach, didn’t expect her team to win the UIL Spirit COED State Championship on Jan. 16.
“I by no means thought that we would be first, not because I didn’t think they deserved it, but because there’s always something in the cheer world,” said Sharp, who is in only her second year as cheer coach but cheered for six years prior to teaching. “You can put out an amazing routine and kill it, put your all on that mat and the judges still might not like your routine as much as another team.”
Sharp said the tensions were high as the rankings were announced. Once Sharp realized that the announcers had reached the Top 5 and Kingwood Park wasn’t called, she worried they hadn’t placed at all.
“I was so nervous,” she said. “I was like, it’s either we’re 11th and we don’t place or we’re first place and we are state champions of the UIL competition. In my mind, I’m like, ‘This just doesn’t happen,’ you know? I mean, obviously it does for people, but there’s always something that’s going to get in the way.”
So when Kingwood Park was called for first place, Sharp could not believe it.
“I don’t even remember it,” she said. “It was just insane. So many emotions. I was so proud of them, because they just wanted it. They went out there and they took it.
“Cheer is really subjective. The other teams were amazing too. So the fact that we put it out there, we hit a great routine. The judges liked the routine. Everything came together. The stars aligned, and this team just earned that first place. And I don’t know, it’s such an overwhelming feeling.”
Throughout the past year, Sharp had been trying to grow the team and their experience as much as possible.
“Last year, we had several girls who had never even competed in cheer before ever,” Sharp said. “So it was like we were just building from the ground up.”
Sharp said the reason she thinks they were able to win the way they did was because of the extra addition of the six boys on the team and how well they worked with the 26 girls.
“So I think the boys have done a ton,” Sharp said. “It’s awesome having them bring up the vibes. They really make a more positive environment, so the boys made a big difference.”
Junior Carson Kee started cheering after he was invited to the cheer event “Bring a boy to practice.” Kee liked cheering more than he expected and officially joined the team. He has most loved the friendships he has gained.
“I had known a lot of the girls that were in cheer, but I became better friends with them,” Kee said. “And I also became better friends with the guys that were also in cheer.”
Like Sharp, Kee also thought during the award ceremony that the team might have not even placed.
“It got down to second place and they still didn’t call us,” Kee said. “So it was like, ‘Did we even place?’”
The team defeated Burleson by .67 to win the first school cheer state title and the first Humble ISD school to win a UIL State Spirit Championship.
Kee then will never forget the reaction of the guys and girls when Kingwood Park’s name was called as State Champions.
“I thought it was really funny how all the guys were really really excited and super hyped, and then the girls just started bawling,” Kee said. “It was a great experience.”
