Red Raiders take Knots Berry Farm by storm

LIHU‘E — For six of the senior cheerleaders, this was the first time they ever won a first place, said Kaua‘i High School cheer co-head coach Avery Kano, Sunday.

The Kaua‘i High School cheer squad, runner-up during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation, edged out Kelso High School from Kelso, Wash., to take top honors in the Advanced-Small Coed division at the Knots Berry Farms Championships sponsored by the National Cheerleaders Association, Saturday.

Kano said the Red Raiders garnered 87.5 points to the Kelso Lassies’ 84.03 points for the top honor. That point total fell by .97 point for the overall squad honors which was taken by the Hilltop High School.

In addition to the top division honor, Kano said the Kaua‘i High School squad, the only group from Hawai‘i at the California competition, was acknowledged for having the Best Jumps, a competitive phase which covered all of the squads at the competition.

“John Butac, our male cheer member, also attracted the attention of the NCA staff who watched during our warm-ups,” Kano said. “They wanted to know if he wanted to become part of their staff.”

Kano said when he coached the cheer squad at Mililani High School on O‘ahu, he took them to the NCA Knots Berry Farm Championships where they ended up winning top honors in the Small Varsity division.

The squad’s other co-Head Coach, Holly Shimazu, and Assistant Coach Nicky Longboy, also are familiar with the competition as they, as part of the Kaua‘i cheer squad of 2005, went to the competition and ended up winning top honors.

Kano said there are 13 members in the squad with six seniors.

“It was an amazing experience for the senior members of the squad who, in their entire career of cheering from Pop Warner through high school, had never won a first prize until Saturday,” Kano said. “I’m glad we could give them the opportunity.”