Cheerleading and playing football revolves around energy. Creating the traditional “Friday Night Lights” atmosphere that has become a large part of the Texas high school culture revolves around energy.

Every week, the atmosphere that is created at football games is fueled by the performance of football players, cheerleaders and dancers.

“It all revolves around energy,” said senior Cooper Robinson, who has been on the varsity football team and cheer team for two years. “If you don’t have energy in football, you’re going to lose. If you don’t have energy in cheer [competitions], you’re definitely going to lose. I feel like it’s just a big part of both sports.”

With many similarities between the two sports, many football players and other athletes have found a new interest in cheerleading. During tryouts for the 2025-2026 school year, the increase in interest for boy cheerleaders was most notable.

The popularity of the coed cheer team grew significantly after the team won the 2025 UIL Spirit Coed State Championship for the first time in program history.

“It was a lot easier to get more guys this year,” cheer coach Brittni Sharp said. “It helps too because once you already have guys that are bought in and they’re encouraging the other guys, it just makes everything so easy.”

Before the success of the coed cheer team, Sharp knew she wanted to bring back something from her own high school experience. Sharp, who went to Atascosita High School, talked with assistant coach Natalie Johnson, who previously coached a coed team, about implementing the idea.

In April 2024, Sharp created the “Bring a guy to practice” event to kickoff the new idea before the 2024-2025 school year. Seniors Alec Krippel, Carson Kee, Mark Gonzalez and Robinson were among those who participated in the event and are now helping teach stunts to newer members.

“This year, what’s cool is the veterans are able to help my new guys,” Sharp said. “My new guys, I noticed, are getting more advanced and improving way quicker than last year’s boys, just because last year’s boys are able to help them.”

Last year, several of the boys found that going to private coaches and cheer camps throughout the season helped them get better in the long run. Now, the second year members are helping Sharp teach stunts to new members.

Krippel, who is a second year member, said he quickly found his place on the team.

“It really just reminded me of home and the cheerleaders were super welcoming,” Krippel said. “It took a bit at first for us to get acquainted with all of them and for us to really get to know all of them and be close with them. But after that it was great.”

Athletes who do other sports are able to be in both class periods, because the state of Texas recognizes upper level cheer classes as Dance Specialty courses, which count as a fine arts credit while first-year cheerleading courses are recognized as an athletic credit.

Sharp said she works with the athletes, especially when their other sports are in season, to make sure they are able to have enough practice with the team.

“Coach Sharp caters to football because she knows you have to learn more and stuff,”  junior Kaycee Russell said. “Basically she helps us by practicing more in the period.”

With less of a stigma surrounding boy cheerleaders, the cheer team hopes to find more successes throughout their competition season. But without having the intense competitions near, the focus has been towards bringing the energy to football games and pep rallies.

The energy that is needed in competitions and in football games has helped elevate the performances on the sidelines.

“Me and Carson have a blast on the sidelines,” Krippel said. “We love running around with the flags. We love yelling into the [megaphones]. We love watching the game, especially when a cool big play happens, the atmosphere is great.”