Photo courtesy Rocky Foster • Forbush cheerleaders react to the news that they have won their division at a national competition this past weekend in Myrtle Beach. “I’ll look at this forever,” coach Lark Williams said.
Staff Writer
tbullard@yadkinripple.com
A local team of cheerleaders are pulling for a special member of their team who rescheduled brain surgery to go to South Carolina this past weekend when the Forbush High School team won a national competition.
Crystal Driver was cheering hard and happy after the Forbush High School cheerleading squad captured the National High School Championship title on Sunday in Myrtle Beach.
“Oh God. I don’t know. I was happy,” said Driver who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is scheduled for surgery on April 5, at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital to have it removed.
The 16-year-old Forbush High School sophomore learned of the tumor in January after experiencing severe headaches.
This Sunday at the Yadkinville First Baptist Church there will be a special prayer service for Driver. The entire team will attend.
Despite the Driver’s diagnosis, the team cheered on, standing at the top of the podium as the final scores for competition were announced.
“Oh my gosh. I guess I was shocked. There’s no words to describe it,” said Lark Williams, head cheerleading coach. “My daughter is the head competition coach. Her name is Christina Foster. She is a teacher at William Ellis Middle School. She was a cheerleader and attended high school here.”
“It was a surreal moment,” said Foster Tuesday. “I just kind of sat there and took it in, and the girls went crazy. They were celebrating, and I don’t think we’ve stopped yet.”
The team won by nine/10ths of a point.
“We didn’t tell the girls that,” she said. “Then on Sunday it was amazing. There’s no other words to describe it. Everyone was crying.”
“We thank God for giving us the ability to have a good team,” she said. Williams is her mother.
“She coached me when I was at Forbush,” she said.
Pat Mitchell, the head football coach, attended along with Assistant Principal Jerry Stewart. There are 24 team members. Teams have to qualify at the state level to take part.
“I cheered here too,” said Williams, 53. “I graduated from here in 1974. My coach was Norm Barnes.”
Pat Mitchell, former head football coach, attended.
“I have a vested interest. I’ve taught most of those girls. My daughter was an assistant to Lark,” he said. “I think it’s a great accomplishment. They deserve a lot of recognition for their hard work. They practice hard.”
Post a Comment
