After a three-year hiatus of not having a cheerleading team, Bernards High School has made a strong comeback this fall. This new cheerleading team is composed of one Senior, two Juniors, two Sophomores, and five Freshmen. 

The revival of this group started with a collection of students determined to bring back school spirit at football games. With the help of the new coach and biology teacher, Lilian Palemere, “everyone has been saying they are so happy to have the cheer team back, but credit to Ellie for rebirthing the team.”

With her past coaching experience, she is delighted to say they are planning to do competition cheer with more skill development because there is exciting potential. She reflects that she missed cheerleading and the passion and excitement a cheer team brings. Additionally, with this being her first year teaching Biology solo, the winter cheer team is in the air and will be a choice of passion. 

Ellie Furhmann, a senior and captain, stated “Even though the cheer team is new this year we still carry old traditions and cheers.” From wearing the same red uniforms from years ago and chanting some of the same chants, they are bringing back the same school spirit we once had. With everyone being at different levels and having their own past experiences they are treating it like a ground-up operation. She describes this team as a new family full of love and excitement for the future. 

The absence of the cheer team since 2021 brought speculation of why interest dipped. Cora Hanratty ’25 believes, “There has always been interest but there was just no leader to actually guide this new squad. But thankfully, Ellie took the leadership position to restart the cheer team.” This group of girls complete the whole high school football game experience. With Hanratty’s past experience involving cheerleading, she and all the students see the effort they are putting in, by knowing their chants, and formations, and bringing their spirited attitudes. The student section acknowledges the intense school spirit that is brought to every football game this year.

The Cheer team has brought enthusiasm to the football games, and energy to the student section thus far. The girls are excited to be a part of a new team, and coming together to keep the program going strong in the coming years. They have a great core that will shape the team next year. With captains encouraging the younger group, the girls have brought the energy so far.