Twirling 

Not many high schools can say they have a baton twirling team, which makes West’s twirlers all the more special. In the last few years, West has welcomed three twirlers to perform at football games. One of whom is senior Ashley Niemiec, who shares her enthusiasm for the addition. “I think my favorite memory was pre-game of today’s game because we had our first ever kids’ clinic and in the past West High wasn’t always allowed to have that many twirlers, we were only allowed to have two,” Niemiec said. 

Dance 

The dance team occasionally leads cheers with the cheer team, however, their role is to perform intricate routines, including their main halftime showcase. As Ava Moore ’25 reflects on her time on the dance team, she shares how she enjoyed every aspect of dancing at games. “My favorite memory with the dance team is just performing our halftimes and just having a blast on the sidelines cheering on the Trojans,” Moore said. 

Cheer 

Cheer is essential to any sports game, not just football. Cheerleaders hold the responsibility of leading the crowd in various cheers throughout the game to boost morale. Alongside student section leaders, they strive to maintain a lively atmosphere. Senior Leiya Rodriguez is captain of West’s cheer team and cherishes many memories on the team. However, she enjoys experiencing the crowd’s energy after a touchdown. “My favorite memory? That’s so hard, I have so many. I think it would be, right when we hit a touchdown, I turn around and I see the whole crowd, everyone cheering, smiling at each other, getting hype, that’s my favorite memory of all time I love it,” Rodriguez said. 

Student Section 

Like cheer, the student section helps bring the energy to the crowd. For most of the game, students are up and moving, cheering on players. Bashir Eltyeb is one of the seniors who frequents the front row, leading cheers that can be heard as far as on the field. “My favorite memory in the student section definitely has to be the time in this game when Mason Woods passed it over to Jack Wallace, who passed it over to Juju,” Eltyeb said. “I think the energy was really there, everyone was just super loud and expressive and chanting a lot.”   

Drumline

For many, the drumline jigs during halftime are the highlight of games. They get everyone up and moving in a matter of seconds. Tiff Lieberman ’25 has been a dedicated member of West’s drumline and enjoys the crowd’s enthusiasm whenever she plays. “My favorite memory with the drumline at games is getting to play in student section. It’s really fun and everyone brings a lot of energy, and it’s just nice to play and getting everyone to cheer at you, it’s really fun,” Lieberman said.