The Bel Air Varsity Football team and Varsity Cheerleaders were on the field Friday, September 14, 2018 for the Battle of Bel Air football game against the John Carroll Patriots.

The Battle of Bel Air is an annual weekend long event between the Bel Air Bobcats and the John Carroll Patriots. Each fall sport from both schools play each other for a chance to win the Battle of Bel Air Commissioner’s Cup trophy. The Varsity Football game this year was held at Bel Air High School.

With a sold-out stadium, the Patriots ended up winning the game but that did not stop the Bel Air cheerleaders, football players, and student section from having fun. Even though the Bobcats may have lost the game, the Bel Air cheerleaders and student section maintained a positive attitude throughout the whole game.

“Even though the game did not have the outcome we had hoped for, being on the filed for one of the biggest games this season was so much fun. We had the students interacting with us during some cheers and it was awesome to see everyone having fun” said Gabby Pasko, a Varsity Cheerleader.

Throughout the course of the game, the student section started the student/cheerleader chant “Hey, Cheerleaders” multiple times to keep the section and cheerleaders engaged with one another. Katie McGrain and Emily Wiechert, seniors at Bel Air High School, as well as leaders of the student section, initiated the chant multiple times throughout the 4 quarters of the game.

When asked about his opinion of the cheerleaders, Mr. Blackburn, the Bel Air Athletic Director, says that he “loves the cheerleaders and their spirit, especially when they communicate with one another to make the cheers the best that they can be.” This is a big compliment given to the cheerleaders, especially coming from the AD of the high school.

In conclusion, the Battle of Bel Air is a great way for the two schools in/around the town of Bel Air to come together to not only show off their teams and the sports they play, but the school spirit and the way we present ourselves to people we don’t have the chance to compete against in the regular season. Friday night football games are a cheerleader favorite, and they were so happy to cheer on the Varsity Football team for this exciting game, whether they won or lost.