NOTE: The varsity cheerleading team season outlook is done each fall; the team was highlighted in The Bee in September.

Newtown High School cheerleading is going strong — not just in terms of routines as evidenced by the amazing athleticism, daring stunts, and endurance on display during halftime of football games in the fall and basketball in the winter. The Nighthawk program is up in numbers and, this year, has a junior varsity squad for the first time since 2016.

Susan Bridges, varsity coach at NHS who will help lead the JV girls along with Coach Elie Mouchantat, said coaches in the youth program felt that more girls would love the opportunity to cheer at the high school, but that some needed to gain more experience.

“We decided at tryouts last spring, that we would give all girls the opportunity to cheer with us. For the summer and fall season we created a Spirit Team. Everyone had the opportunity to practice, tumble, go to camp, volunteer, and cheer football games. We had a really great time,” Bridges said.

“Late in the fall season, we split the teams between varsity and JV competition teams. We even took on six more girls for the JV team,” Bridges said.

The JV team members will continue their passion for cheer while supporting boys’ and girls’ basketball and participating in a few competitions this winter.

“We are very excited to bring back JV,” Bridges said.

JV team members are Bella Graicersten, Allison Cocchiola, Isabel Gietz, Isabella DaSilva, Elle Musen, Emma Guilfoil, Jules Ruggiero, Grace Kase, Addison Della Corte, Charlotte Prodosky, Summer Wilson, and Peyton DuPont.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.