Photo by Malia Riggs.
Seniors Sydni Williams, left, and Kali Cahalan are key leaders on the Hewitt-Trussville cheerleading squad this year.
With two decades of coaching experience, Hewitt-Trussville Head Cheer Coach Jennifer Williams knows what it takes to build a strong program. In her third year leading the Huskies, she’s focused on growth — not just in skills, but in leadership.
“It’s watching the girls grow and get better year after year, improve their skill set every year and come together to make good things happen for each other and for their team,” Williams said.
That drive shows up every afternoon in the gym, where seniors Kali Cahalan and Sydni Williams lead with energy, precision and a clear sense of purpose.
“I've been cheering for 13 years, and I love the team spirit. I love competing with everybody and I really love my team,” Cahalan said. “Being with them every day at practice is the best.”
That daily effort includes more than just stunts and routines. Cahalan and Williams, along with fellow senior captains Ava Claire Foster and Mallory Lane, take part in game-day planning, coordinate outfits and team communication.
“All the planning that goes into it with the run-throughs, the signs, the cheers, all the dances that we come up with, they're a lot more complicated than you would think,” Cahalan said.
Sydni Williams added, “We have to decide what uniform to wear, what ribbon to wear, what theme we want the game to be... then we have to communicate it to our team and then encourage our team to all wear the same thing.”
With the football and competition seasons underway, both captains say the real reward is stepping onto the mat.
“I think it's so fun to get in front of people and do a routine that we have worked crazy hard on,” Cahalan said. “Every single day for like two hours we're in the gym working, stunting, tumbling.”
Sydni added, “We have grown as a team... I think we actually might have a shot this year.”
As for what’s next?
“I want to go to Troy University and cheer at Troy too,” Cahalan said. “Go Huskies!”
“I plan on going into medicine,” said Sydni. “Go Huskies!”
