WA seems on right path in bid for cheering title

Even as the Washington Academy cheerleading team was winning titles with a Charlie’s Angels-themed routine last year, coach Laurie Schoppee was already thinking up a new theme for this year’s squad.

And it seems to have met with the judges’ approval. The Raiders of East Machias won their third straight Downeast Athletic Conference championship Saturday and will try to defend their 2001 Eastern Maine title Jan. 26 at the Bangor Auditorium.

WA finished fourth at the Class C state championships last year, and getting back to states has been the team’s goal this season. The top four teams in Eastern Maine will compete against the top four Western Maine teams for the state title Feb. 9 at the Augusta Civic Center.

“I think that’s a good goal, because it’s going to be very close,” said Schoppee, a 1992 WA graduate who is in her sixth year coaching at the school. “The biggest thing is that they have fun and be comfortable with what they’re doing. I think they should have no problem getting to states, but they have to hit [the routine]. It’s all in hitting it.”

Schoppee choreographed a routine based on a “Saturday Night Live” skit that was recently made into a movie called “Superstar” about an uncoordinated Catholic schoolgirl who has a thing for smelling her armpits. There was some question about the Raiders including that last part in their routine, but they decided to leave it in.

“I was worried about the judges [at DAC championships] not liking it, but they loved it,” Schoppee said. “I could see them laughing. So that worked out OK. … I knew what we were going to do last year and the girls were excited. I wanted to do something really creative. I think it’s one of the best routines I’ve ever come up with.”

Not only were the judges pleased by the theme, but they appreciated that the girls have added a lot of difficulty to their routine. The flyers are doing one-legged stunts and twisting on their dismounts, and the bases are moving the stunts. Schoppee has added another stunt series for the regional meet.

“Stunts are what we’re solid at, for once,” she said. “We’ve always been trying to catch up and now they actually have them down.”

The members of the WA team are Heidi Espling, Katie Holmes, Emily Huffman, Joy Grannis, Becca Schors, Karami Ham, Katie Miller, Katie Albee, Kim Ross, Ashley Ross, Heather Cramer, Jesstine Albee, Amber Barrett, Danielle Emery, and Meredith Guptill.

Marble eager to get back

When Woodland’s Ashley Marble broke her left wrist earlier this season, two of the games she missed weren’t just any old games. They were matchups against Downeast Athletic Conference rival Calais and new Class D rival Lee Academy.

The defending Class D state champion Dragons dropped both games – their only losses of the season – but they will have a chance to make up for that starting this Saturday when Woodland travels to Lee for a rematch. And this time, the team will have Marble along for the ride.

The senior guard and third-team Bangor Daily News All-Maine selection saw her first action in several weeks last Saturday, when she played in the closing minutes of a game against East Grand of Danforth. Marble is unsure if she’ll start today when the Dragons face Washington Academy of East Machias.

Marble said she doesn’t feel any extra incentive to beat Lee Saturday and is just eager to play with her team again. She may feel differently about the Feb. 2 rematch against Calais because sitting on the bench during the Dec. 21 loss to the Blue Devils was one of the hardest things she’s had to do, she said.

While Marble was out, sophomore Lauren Troiani stepped into a starting role.

“I’m so excited to play Saturday,” said Marble, who is playing with a brace. “I’m just excited to be out on the floor with them. They really stepped up and did well. Lauren did an excellent job. She really helped us.”