Coming off of an unparalleled 2024-2025 season, capturing back-to-back KHSAA State and UCA National Championships, in addition to their third straight UCA Regional title and fourth straight KHSAA Regional title, WCHS Cheer returned to the mat with momentum. On November 1st, Woodford Cheer secured its 5th straight KHSAA Regional title, dominating Region 4 yet again in both Gameday and Traditional divisions.
The team returned to the KHSAA Regional Championship at Central Hardin as the defending champions in both the Large Gameday division and Coed Traditional division. When returning to the regional championship this year, they also walked in as the reigning national and state champions. The Woodford County cheer team is held to a high standard due to past success, meaning there is also a large target on their backs. Eyes are on the team at all times, many wanting to watch them fail, or hoping to beat them.
WCHS put out their Co-ed Traditional routine at 2:19, the same division that won them the National Championship back in February. This year, Woodford brings a more difficult routine with harder tumbling and stunts, which ended with only a few deductions and some timing issues. In the Co-ed division, they were against Ballard, Carroll, and Anderson Counties. Woodford came out on top in the Co-ed Traditional routine, with Carroll County coming runner-up. Woodford and Carroll were the only teams to earn a bid to the KHSAA State Championship. This was also only the third year that Woodford has competed in a Traditional routine in KHSAA, and they have won KHSAA Regionals in traditional all three years.
The team also competed in the Large Gameday division, the routine that they won state titles in three out of the last four years, in 2021, 2023, and 2024. They won the division again at KHSAA Regionals for the fifth year in a row. This year, they were against Ballard, Grant County, Carroll County, North Oldham, Sacred Heart, and Eastern. Woodford came out on top with a raw score of ~90 and a final score of 88.75 due to a one-point deduction. The deduction was because the announcer took 12 seconds to call defense or offense for the sideline, causing the team to go five seconds overtime, and resulting in a deduction. Sacred Heart ended up placing runner-up, and Eastern placed third. All three teams earned a bid to state. So far, Woodford has the highest gameday score going into the state championship.
The Jackets won’t rest on their Regional success, shifting focus to the KHSAA State Tournament. They compete in Co-ed Traditional on December 12th and the Large Gameday division on December 13th. They aim to defend their state title in Gameday, going for a 3-peat against fierce competition like Somerset, Highlands, and their rival, Daviess County, who beat them for the state title in 2022 and came runner-up to Woodford last season. They also hope for success in a very tough Co-ed Traditional division, where Woodford (last year’s third-place finisher) will contend with talented teams such as the defending champion, McCracken, and runner-up, Barren County.
Congrats on your win, Jackets. Good luck at State.
