Away from the glory of the center of the court, the Panthers cheer team is often forgotten about by fans and students alike.

Especially with the start of basketball season — where games happen biweekly– it’s not abnormal for people to undermine the work put in by the cheerleaders.

“We go to every single game, even away (games),” junior Ramon Reyes said. “It takes up our entire day on game days, and it can be super exhausting.”

From Campus to Gardner Edgerton, the team travels alongside the basketball team to help get the crowd ramped up.

“I feel like people kind of forget about us when we’re cheering, which sucks,” senior Ashlyn Zerger said. “We practice once or twice a week and then spend hours of our day supporting the teams.”

And it’s not only the physical aspect that affects them. Mental health takes a toll on many of them.

“I think that I just lose motivation as the season goes on,” Zerger said. “I’m hyped to be a part of such an amazing team, but it is tough, especially when I have to balance cheer and school.”

The cheer team has a wide range of athletes. Spanning from all-star (competitive) cheerleaders to those who participate in other school sports as well, there’s a variety of them that bring their unique skills to the team.

“I also do something called STUNT the Sport,” junior Sunnie Getchell said. “It incorporates a lot of cheer stuff, but our team goes face-to-face with others to see who can do it better.”

Since basketball season has just begun, there is a lot still in store for everyone involved in the busy season. There are tournaments, regular season games and even a chance at state games for both the girls and guys teams.

Even though they may be standing on the sidelines, the cheerleaders are ready for whatever the season throws at them.