Buckaroo cheer team places sixth at UIL spirit state championships

The Breckenridge Buckaroo cheerleading team delivered its strongest performance in program history last week, finishing sixth in the state at the 2026 UIL Spirit State Championships in the 3A Division 1 finals at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

The top-10 finish Thursday, Jan. 15 comes after months of preparation and two community showcases earlier this month, when the squad performed its full competition routine during halftime of the boys’ basketball games on Tuesday, Jan. 6 and Tuesday, Jan. 13. Those previews gave fans an early look at the synchronized chants, sharp motions and stunt sequences the Buckaroos brought to the state stage.

This year was the first time the team made the top 10 at the state championship and third time they made the top 20 (12th in 2022, 17th in 2024) since spirit cheer became part of the Breckenridge athletic program in 2020.

“Since UIL State Spirit Cheer joined our Athletic Program in 2020, this staff and this community have poured energy, time and belief into these athletes,” athletic director Casey Pearce said. “This performance was the cleanest, most refined and most spirited I’ve had the honor to watch. Thank you to Mr. Jarrett, Mr. Allen, Mrs. Prairie Freeman and our Board of Trustees for your support and advocacy. Above all, thank you to the Buckaroo coaching staff and the parents who adapted to support these multi-sport athletes. You all made this possible.”

Head cheer coach Kaitlan Prewitt said the team’s rise reflects both the growing difficulty of the competition and the relentless work her athletes put in behind the scenes.

“Each year the competition gets tougher and what the judges want to see evolves with the different trends,” Prewitt said. “The work that the kids have to put in to keep up with this always changing and super competitive sport is unimaginable.”

Breckenridge opened Thursday’s competition with an 8:36 a.m. prelims performance, and ultimately advanced comfortably to the finals behind a balanced showing across all three categories. Their fight song routine was the standout, scoring 64.3, good for fourth place in the qualifying round. Breckenridge also placed 13th in crowd leading (77.25) and 13th in band chant (43.2), earning zero deductions in all three events.

Prewitt said the team’s ability to make a demanding routine look natural is what separates good squads from great ones.

“Just like most sports, we have a set plan or playbook of sorts of what we need to do to be successful,” she said. “The difference and the challenge of cheer is that we have to make it look effortless and spontaneous. It can’t look too rehearsed or robotic.”

Finding that balance, she added, takes months of repetition and trust.

“You can’t really teach or coach it. It comes with lots and lots of reps at practice, and finally the team finds it. As a coach, I give them all the right pieces, but they have to put it together,” Prewitt said. “Once they know their routine like the back of their hand, something clicks – and that’s when the magic really happens.”

That “magic” showed up in the finals, where the Buckaroos returned to the mat for their 6:59 p.m. performance to close out a long day of competition. Breckenridge posted an overall score of 88.73, finishing sixth overall behind state champion Tuscola Jim Ned (94.4), Kirbyville (92.1), Tatum (91.77), Corpus Christi London (90.6) and Edna (90).

Breckenridge’s final scores included a 45.33 in crowd leading and 43.4 in band chant and fight song, again with no deductions.

Prewitt said the finals routine was the best she has seen in her six years leading the program.

“Although we didn’t win or even get a medal, they unlocked something I’m not sure they knew they had in them,” she said. “Their performance was intense, aggressive, engaging, spontaneous and all around electric. I really think they set the tone for future Buckaroo cheer teams and raised the standard for themselves.”

This year’s performance marks a significant step forward for the program. In 2025, the Buckaroos recorded a combined score of 166.3 in the qualifying round but finished just outside the top-20 cutoff for finals. That routine, one of the most complete the team had delivered at the time, set a benchmark for the returning athletes and helped shape the team’s focus entering the season.

One year later, the squad not only returned to state but broke into the top tier of 3A Division I, earning a finals berth and a top-six finish in a field of 57 teams.

Prewitt said she is proud not only of the team’s competitive success but of the growth they’ve shown throughout the year – balancing cheer with football and basketball games, pep rallies, other sports and extracurriculars and their academic responsibilities.

“Their hard work has paid off and does not go unnoticed,” she said. “I am so proud to say that I coach this amazing group of girls and of all the things they have accomplished this year on and off the performance mats.”

The Buckaroos will close out their season at NCA Nationals in Fort Worth Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25. Unlike UIL, the event is divided by team size rather than school classification, meaning Breckenridge will face larger and highly competitive programs.

“We look forward to showing everyone at the competition who Breckenridge is and what we’re made of,” Prewitt said.