Wildcats trample the Alhambra Bulldogs

Dougherty Valley’s STUNT team clutched another win on senior night against the Alhambra High School Bulldogs on April 14, with a score of 21-0.

In fact, the Wildcats’ STUNT team has never lost a single game, leading with a record of 8-0 throughout the season. If the team can keep up this winning streak, they will have a perfect record for the second year in a row.

The team was able to score all four points for each of the routines performed. Alhambra was missing one of their key flyers during a routine, throwing off their team. The Bulldogs’ routine was not able to hold due to this, and the referee did not award them any points for this round. In the end, Alhambra was not awarded any points throughout the entire game.

Part of the reason for Dougherty’s domination over Alhambra was the fact that this is the second year where Dougherty has had a full STUNT program. Many of the other schools in the EBAL division have only just started their STUNT programs this year, thus giving DV the upper hand over their opponents.

Another advantage DV STUNT has over other schools is their qualification for the state competition last year. The team was able to compete against some of the top schools in California, gaining valuable experience. They placed third last year, putting them well ahead of many of their competitors.

Despite the Wildcats’ impressive victory against the Bulldogs, Coach Jenna Scheiner commented on some blunders throughout the game.

“We had one slip-up that probably was the worst routine that we have done for any of the games. The fourth quarter STUNT routine was really bad,” she said.

The coach, as well as the players, stated that since they have maintained an undefeated record so far, it has become harder to execute well in performances, and they aren’t as motivated. They mentioned that they may slack off a little when practicing their routines, and this shows when performing in front of everyone.

Another challenge was finding which team member fit best in each routine.

“Every routine is a puzzle; each person can be trained for a certain position, so it’s really just putting people in the pieces where they fit. When someone leaves you have to completely change that routine around that person and it is very difficult,” said team captain, senior Juliette Price.

Price shared some of the challenges the team faced during the game due to absent team members. Each routine is built around the group of girls selected to perform it in the beginning of the season, and changes must be made to the routine when one person cannot attend the competition.

Even with these minor setbacks, STUNT team seniors Sabrina Cesana, Landrie Kimbrough and Price were the stars of the game, exciting the crowd with back-handsprings and unique pyramid formations. These seniors, along with with junior Megan Hooks as a flyer, became the center of the show. The crowd cheered as the group executed the routine flawlessly, winning over the referee’s points.

“Our hopes for this season is to make it to the state championship again, make it past the first round of that and win the final championship game,” Scheiner said, when asked about their goals for the season.

With only one game left in the season and a winning record of 8-0, the team is confident that they will make it to the state championship. Between their hard work and higher skill level, the STUNT team has high hopes for state.