Century High Squads Leave Contest Cheering

They flipped, they tumbled, they won.

Two cheerleading squads from Century High School in Santa Ana walked away with top honors at the United Spirit Assn. national cheerleading competition in Anaheim last weekend.

The event is one of many national competitions, said Eric Anderson, the head varsity cheer coach at Century. The spirit association’s competition includes mostly teams from the Western United States, including archrival Mater Dei High School, also in Santa Ana.

“They’re down the street, and they’re the private school,” Anderson said of Mater Dei. “We’re just a little inner-city school.”

The Century High squads took first place in the varsity and junior varsity coed divisions, Anderson said, which are generally considered the most prestigious categories.

Anderson attributed the wins to a number of factors, from the students’ hard work to the support of school officials and parents.

He said he considers the team’s many different flips to be among its strongest assets.

“I cannot ask for more from these kids,” he said.