WAIMEA — There was no room for error yesterday at the Kaua‘i Regional Spirit Championships hosted by the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Association. At stake were seven eligibility slots to the National Pop Warner Cheer and Dance competition coming up in
WAIMEA — There was no room for error yesterday at the Kaua‘i Regional Spirit Championships hosted by the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Association.
At stake were seven eligibility slots to the National Pop Warner Cheer and Dance competition coming up in early December at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
With routines from the Kapa‘a and Waimea high school cheer squads peppering the competition numbers, the capacity crowd at the Clem Gomes Gym watched as squads from the Pee Wee and Midget divisions displayed the results of its weeks of hard work.
“This is not like the football teams,” said Mel Rapozo, commissioner for the KPWA. “In football, you can afford to fumble a game and come back to still take the championship. In cheer, it comes down to what you do in the two-and-a-half minutes on the floor. There is no second chance.”
Rapozo said the annual cheer competition is the squads’ moment in the sun.
When the dust settled, the Kekaha Panthers earned an undisputed slot for the Junior Peewee Novice Small division along with the Hanapepe Colts who got the nod in the Midget Intermediate Small division.
Competition was tight in a four-way race for the Peewee Novice Small division with the Hanapepe Colts erupting in jubilation after discovering it finished first over the Kapa‘a Eagles.
But the Eagles were not to be denied as the Kapa‘a program has been hustling through several seasons to get its cheer program on track, and the Eagles’ joy at getting the runner-up berth was clear evidence of that effort.
The Koloa Rams and Lihu‘e Patriot squads rounded out that division competition.
Another tight race governed the Midget Advanced Small division as the Kekaha Chargers emerged in the top slot over the Lihu‘e Patriot squad whose members had tears of disappointment streaking down their cheeks as they accepted their medals.
The race was made especially tight between the two squads as each suffered a drop during one of its stunting routines, and from there, it was a matter of detail points from the panel of judges.
Overall, the Kekaha association earned two slots with its Panthers and Chargers along with the Hanapepe Colts who garnered first place in the Peewee Novice Small and Midget Intermediate Small divisions.
Additionally, each association’s Mitey Mite squads performed exhibition routines along with the Waimea and Kapa‘a high school cheerleaders who will be facing their own Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation cheer competition in early November.
The cheer squads return to the football arena Saturday when the league hosts its games at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium starting at 8 a.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
