The head coach of the competitive cheer team, Olivia Obetts, never dreamed of ever having so much success in one single season; especially given the fact that this is only the second season of competitive cheer in Forest Hills Central history.

“This season we really made a name for ourselves,” Obetts said. ”We came out of nowhere this season, and it has been nothing short of amazing.”

This season, the team was able to achieve several titles that it never expected this early in the program’s existence. The team took second place in the conference, fifth place at the Regional competition, and the Rangers placed in the top ten in the entire state of Michigan.

“I am so impressed with these girls this season,” Obetts said. “Forest Hills Central competitive cheer has a name now, and in just two years [the girls] have done wonders. I told them that they had it in them, and once they truly believed in themselves, they ignited the fire.”

The Wyoming Wolves Invite on Jan. 12 was the team’s first victory in the season, and from that competition forward the Rangers took off. They had several second-place and third-place finishes after that invite; however, in their last conference competition, the Rangers had a phenomenal performance. This meet counted for fifty-percent of their entire conference season, and they had a stellar performance to place second.

The team ended its season placing in the top three seven times, top five three times, and top ten once.

“It was so amazing to go this far in my senior year and to watch this program grow so much throughout this season,” said senior Grace Conn, who is a two-year competitive cheerleader. “We are a very humble team, and we do our best; even if we don’t place first, we always know that we gave it our all.”

Despite the unprecedented season, the team will be losing several key seniors this year. Senior Jordan Boltres has been on this team since the beginning and has been cheering for the high school for the last four years.

“It’s really bittersweet, and I never imagined myself liking this sport so much,” Jordan said. “This sport has so quickly become a part of my life, and being on this team has opened so many doors for me.”

The FHC cheer team really had a breakout season and built a name for itself. The effort that the Rangers put in throughout the season paid off in the end, and they may not have finished their season in first, but they proved themselves.

“It feels amazing that we have created such a name for ourselves,” Grace said. “We were not a team that was feared in the beginning, and no one really worried about competing against us; however, by the end of the season we were a team to look out for, and I am really proud of everyone for everything we accomplished.”