The stunt team is back at Athens Drive Magnet High School. Stunt is a varsity spring sport for women only. Athens Drive had two scrimmage matches Thursday, March 15 against Apex High School and Panther Creek High School.
The sport originally started off as a collegiate and professional sport, but was brought to Wake County in spring of 2015. In a stunt match, there are four quarters. In the first quarter, the teams go head to head performing partner stunts. In between each quarter, besides third and fourth, there are two minute breaks. In the second quarter there are pyramids and tosses and in the third quarter there are jumps and tumbling, or flipping. Pyramids consists of two stunt groups going up and connecting and some point in the routine. In between the third and fourth quarter, there is a 10 minute half-time. Finally, the fourth quarter ties up the match. In this quarter there are three routined combinations of all elements performed back to back.
Although the stunt match against Apex High School and Panther Creek High School did not count, each team took it upon themselves to act as if it did. Apex High School defeated Athens Drive in the first match 25-5. Athens Drive then beat Panther Creek High School 10-9. Points are awarded by the consistency of the routine. Judges pay attention to the flyer’s positions, the bases putting her up, and the backspot’s position. Everyone has an exact count they have to hit everything on. Any bobbles or miscounts in the performance can count against them.
“After we competed in the first match and lost terribly, we had to tighten up as a team and work on what we needed to get done. We could not take another lost like that” said Diamond Green, captain of Athens Drive stunt team.
Athens Drive has not had a stunt team since spring of 2015, so some of the athletes who were on the cheer team, or just new to sports in general, have to get into the new movement of how this sport works.
“I played volleyball in the fall, then I cheered in the winter for basketball and competition season, now I am on the stunt team in the spring. It’s taking the team as a whole a little while trying to adjust to the new rules of guidelines of a new sport. I have full confidence in the team and I know we’ll be great,” said Sydney McCoy, junior.
Athens Drive will travel and host matches all season. Their coach, Morgan DeYoung, is hoping to win over 50 percent of their matches. DeYoung is also the varsity coach so she has techniques and coaching skills to help lead the team to victories.
