The great 2013 season wasn’t just for the football teams, however.
Also turning in a spectacular season was the Mighty Mites cheerleading team, which won first place in all three of its competitions.
“It feels good, and the parents are proud,” coach Lori Mull says.
The Dolphins cheerleaders won the Gator Bash in Lakeland, then the Turkey Creek Cheer Fest and completed the season sweep at the Cheer-Off at the Lakeland High School stadium.
Routines at each event were four minutes long and consisted of a mix between dances and team-specific cheers. The Dolphins used the same routine in each event — forming “P.C.D.” with their pompons before launching into their sets — and made a great case for the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Although the Mighty Mites squad will lose half of its girls next season because they will move up to the next age group, the girls who will remain on this team are already excited for next season.
“The girls really, really worked hard, and we weren’t easy on them,” Mull says.
The coaches are Mull, Heather Watson, Jessica Taylor and Katelyn Hicks.
The cheerleaders are Kaylee Wilson, Kyndell Drawdy, Brooke Browning, Samantha Watson, Natalie Chapman, Tayler Smith, Alexis Galloway, Hannah Layton, Leah Lucky, Makyla Brown, Katerina Bolivar, Erica Ranelle, Abigail Mullis, Andrea Pollard, Ja’shiya Jones, Reese Tyson, Raylynn Thompson, Makayla Pelletier, Makenzie Pelletier, Makayla Register and Jaidyn Diaz.