Breaking Down Friday Night Lights

A sea of red jerseys draws crowds to War Memorial every home football game, but they belong to the PRHS Advanced Dance team, not the Varsity football players. This 35 member team of dancers devote their time, energy, and passion to delivering a showstopping performance every Friday night for Bearcat fans. 

Each of the halftime dances is choreographed by a pair who work together to cut songs together, teach the dance to other members, and polish moves before showtime. The opportunity to participate in football season begins before the school year even starts, with advisor Jennifer Bedrosian sending out a sign-up sheet for any dancers interested, allowing for the creativity to start flowing during the summer.

Halftime routines are different from typical showcase numbers. Senior co-president Allie Kemp shares how they only last 60-75 seconds and must use school appropriate music, which proves to be a challenge given the typical hip-hop nature of the dances,

Each dance carries distinct character from the person choreographing and their personal style, allowing for diverse skills to be displayed week after week. Normally the dance is rehearsed  in the span of a week and the team works diligently during second period, creating a fast-paced class environment from August to the end of the football season.

“Seeing how the choreography looks on different people, because no two people are gonna really look exactly the same, is really cool. We have a big class so you can see how it settles differently on everyone,” Kemp said, sharing one of her favorite aspects of the final halftime performance.

The crowd can feel the energy emitted from the dancers, leaving them eager to see more performances for more after each performance. Compliments swarm them during the remaining game time and follow them into the next week at school. Wearing the signature red jersey with “00” on the back is a badge of honor, building up school spirit as proud Bearcats.

“ARE-YOU-PROUD-TO-BE-A-BEARCAT? YES-WE-ARE!”The smiling red lips of the Varsity Bearcat cheerleaders shine from the sidelines of every home football game, cheering on both the players and the eager crowd. Constantly performing through all four quarters and halftime, they display their stunt, dance, and teamwork skills to all watching.

The iconic cheer halftime performance is around 90-120 seconds and gets divided into three separate sections that each highlight a different aspect of their sport. When designing the performance, three separate songs are chosen that can be mashed together smoothly while keeping the same rhythm of each portion. 

First up is partner stunts, where each separate stunt group is responsible for their own part, all coming together to form a synchronized whole. Next, is the dance portion, choreographed by the four cheer captains and put to counts that allow room to breathe between their intense stunting formations. Finally, are the pyramid stunts, where the whole team comes together to end with an impressive bang, normally consisting of connected flips and tumbling. This is all planned in advance, allowing enough time for the team to perfect the routine during the week,

“We have specific days that we learn stuff: Monday, we learn the dance, Tuesday, we learn partner stunts, Thursday, we learn the pyramid and put it all together, Friday, we run through it,” senior captain Janely Rendon said. Preparation is key, making the final product look polished and effortless out on the field.

As much as each person’s individual performance matters, the true beauty of cheerleading is how everyone relies on each other. The trust that comes with stunt groups is built over the long hours practicing, with muscle-memory taking the wheel when the time comes to perform, 

Everything that goes into this two minute performance is built on confidence, allowing for the crowd to feel fully immersed in the performance while the cheerleaders smile effortlessly. These Bearcats are talented and hardworking, forming the magical high school experience.

Whether it’s Shrek or Avatar, the PRHS Marching Band and Colorguard team puts all of their spirit on display during their unique halftime shows. Their three movements showcase all 70 performing members of the band with a fun twist.

Often spotted in all white, standing above the rest on the field are the drum majors, responsible for conducting every member through the movement. Two were selected this year, seniors Diana Ojeda and Christian Serna. The selection process happens at the end of the year, where prospective students fill out a form with personal insight questions and later have an audition. Once the leaders are chosen, they learn all of the conducting hand movements and protocol.

“There is a pressure factor. But it’s very emotional up there because you can really see all the work you and other people have been doing and it is kind of your job to convey that emotion,” Serna said about the essential position in leading the band to harmony and creating the polished performance.

A two-week band camp takes place in the summer to introduce new members and condition returning ones, preparing for a rigorous year ahead. The first days center around the basics: correct marching, breathing technique and cues, then transitioning into the pre-game routine, where they will learn new music and choreography. Once the school year starts, practice continues during third and fourth period and after-school on Wednesdays from 5:30-8:30.

One of the biggest challenges the band faces during the performance is timing. If the tempo is off, it can lead to collisions on the field with all of the members forming different shapes and movements. If the show runs over, it can run into game time, which has been a problem in the past, so keeping on pace is important,

“Most people don’t realize the amount of effort it takes to coordinate and execute a lot of these things. We’re going on for hours, a lot of yelling, and especially during band camp, people are passing out in the heat. It’s a lot of work. You have to be very precise and conditioned to stay up at attention at all times,” Serna shared.