There was a time, not so long ago, when Long Reach cheerleading was the class of Howard County.
From 2007 to 2011, the Lightning won four out of five winter county championships and the program also added a fall title in 2008. But just as quickly as things had been built up, coaching changes and roster fluctuation resulted in a fall off that left this year's senior class still searching for its first crown.
Following Wednesday night's county championship meet at Glenelg, however, that wait is finally over.
Behind an energetic routine, Long Reach scored 114.4 points to edge past defending county-champion Marriotts Ridge (111.9) and River Hill (109.4) to earn a title that many members of the team called a "dream come true."
"I remember coming in my freshman year and the sophomores had been county champs the year before and they had the shirts with that on there. My best friend Alison and I, we wanted to win one of those so bad. But it seemed like every year we were just sort of going down hill," said Long Reach senior Ashley Byrum, who is one of two senior captains that have been on the team for four years.
"This year, though, we've just become so strong and out of nowhere the whole team has just come together. There have been bumps, but we've made it through to get here and … I can't even explain how amazing this feels."
Each of the top three teams now advance to the South Regional Cheerleading Competition this Saturday, Feb. 7 at Harford Community College. Long Reach and Marriotts Ridge each made it to regionals last winter, while River Hill and Marriotts Ridge were among the teams that made it in the fall.
The return to glory for the Lightning was the storyline that stole the show on Wednesday, though.
While the Long Reach program has a very different look than it did during its previous reign atop the county, there is one very important holdover — coach Elisabeth "Beetle" Rice. Having been with the team during each of its last 14 seasons, she has seen every one of the ups and downs.
She now coaches alongside her daughter, Nikkia Rice, to form what those around the program call a "dynamic duo."
Both of them — mother and daughter — were in tears following the victory.
"I came on in (Fall) 2011 and there's definitely been a transition where we've been kind of building the team since then," Nikkia Rice said. "I've always wanted to win this so badly, but it's taken a long time to get to this point … finding the right group of girls. But to be here, with this team, it's all worth it."
As for the routine itself, Long Reach focused primarily on execution and enthusiasm. The team had finished outside the top four at the fall county championship meet, but instead of adding new stunts or changing things up, the formula for success was tightening up the little things.
It was that overall approach that helped the Lightning overcome any hiccups they may have encountered along the way.
"We've learned over the years what the judges are looking for. Like once you fall, don't be sad about it, just move on to the next thing and work even harder," senior Brenda Orebamjo said. "Judges want you to be loud and work the dance, be tight and smile … we made sure we did all those things."
After the routine was over, Long Reach's team members said they were definitely pleased with the effort. Admittedly, though, none of them knew what to expect from the judges.
Even during the award ceremony, as River Hill was announced in third place and Marriotts Ridge in second, the Lightning found themselves struggling with their emotions.
"When they called out third and second place and they hadn't said our name yet, I was literally thinking 'man, this could finally be it, or we may be out (of regionals) completely.' It was literally like I didn't know how it was going to go," Byrum said. "Everything we have been working toward was building up to this one moment."
When Long Reach was announced as the winners, there was a brief moment of hesitation before the team erupted in celebration.
"Once we heard our names, we were all in so much shock that we didn't even know how to react," Orebamjo said.
Coach Nikkia Rice said she thought her ears were playing tricks on her.
"My stomach just dropped and I thought at first I didn't hear it right and I had heard just what I wanted to hear," she said. "And then when I saw my girls jumping up and down, I realized we really did it. Long Reach did it. It's just such an emotional moment."
Long Reach hung around until long after all the other teams vacated the gym, taking pictures, exchanging hugs and soaking in the moment for as long as they could.
For Marriotts Ridge, on other side of things, the second-place finish snapped a string of three-straight winter county championships. The Mustangs had a high degree of difficulty to their routine, but had a tumble during one of their pyramids that ultimately may have cost them.
While disappointed in falling short, the team did its best to look at things in a positive light in terms of being able to still move on to regionals.
"We're disappointed that we had a fall and that we didn't come in first. We know winning isn't everything, but it's still tough," said Marriotts Ridge freshman Lilly Vazquez. "That said, I think we're still happy to be going on to regionals and we're hoping to make up for it there."