Seaford cheerleading proved its perennial force with back-to-back Game Day state titles
Seaford cheer team at the 2024 state tournament. Credit: Cindy Schultz
Last season’s inaugural state Game Day cheerleading championship was a lesson for the Seaford squad.
In their Game Day debut, the two-time Competitive state champion Vikings sought to “give it their best try,” which, to their surprise, earned them the highest score and a Class B title.
This year, the lesson was put to the ultimate test: Could Seaford do it again?
“It was a learning lesson. We didn’t know if we were going to win again,” senior main base Hayley Kern said. “There were expectations for us being reigning champions and I think that fueled us to prove that we we’re going to come back even better.”
The only thing standing in their way was Section I’s Putnam Valley, which claimed the Class C title last season. As Seaford moved into the same division this year, it meant the Vikings would face off against another previous winner.
“All three teams in the finals were very competitive so we knew who we had to be,” senior flyer Melissa Phieffer said. “We knew we were coming in with another champion and we knew it would be close. We just put our all out there so even if we didn’t win, we would know we tried our absolute hardest.”
Seaford cheer team competes in the final round of the Class C State cheer championship on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Seaford placed first in Class C. Credit: Cindy Schultz
Seaford edged Putnam Valley by 0.20 points with a score of 90.10 to claim its second consecutive Game Day title.
Seaford, which also performed last out of all nine teams in the state finals, had the boost of confidence from other Nassau cheerleading finals teams Carey and Freeport in the stands.
“We had to watch [Putnam Valley] perform and it was a little nerve-racking, but it was really great having other Section VIII teams cheering us on,” senior backspot Marissa Patsatsis said. “I don’t know how we would have done it without them.”
The Vikings won all three county competitions this season, earning the highest score each week.
“We always tell them it’s about what they do, no one else,” coach Lisa Ferrari said. "It worked throughout the season. It motivated them and got them to the point where they were able to walk out there with the confidence to compete against another Game Day champion.”
Confidence, built from last season’s debut, was a key factor in their triumph this year.
“We were a lot more confident than we were last year,” Phieffer said. “We knew exactly what we had to do. We felt very confident and were just excited to perform.”
“We didn’t really have a feel [for] it last year,” senior Codi Kasparian said. “This year, having the experience from last year, we understood it more and we made our routine better and more fun to perform.”
Ferrari believes the team of nine seniors, 11 juniors and one sophomore has left a legacy for future squads to follow: “They made sure they walked out and left something for the next group coming in.”
