East Mississippi Community College announces 2026-27 cheerleading team

SCOOBA — Split evenly between returners and newcomers, the East Mississippi Community College cheerleading team has been announced for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year.

Under the direction of second-year head cheer coach Sarah Thompson, this year's 22-member EMCC cheerleading squad will feature 11 returning sophomores from last year's EMCC team, two first-year sophomore cheer additions and nine incoming freshmen from the Mississippi high school ranks.

"This year's cheer team has something special about them. I've never had a group that was more dedicated or determined," Thompson said. "I cannot wait to see what this team achieves."

Nearly half of EMCC's 11 returning sophomores hail from Starkville-area prep cheer programs. Erin Dawson, Camille Morgan and Zoie Williams previously cheered together at Starkville High School, while the Starkville Academy tandem of Hannah Cain and Cora Beth Robertson are back on the Scooba campus as well.

Also back cheering for the EMCC Lions this upcoming sports season will be former Northeast Lauderdale High School classmates Semya Brewster and Cam Thompson, Louisville natives Josh Kelley (Winston Academy) and Kaylee Goss (Louisville HS) as well as Shaniya Finley (Quitman HS) and Ty'Lecia Lemon (Grenada HS).

East Mississippi's pair of first-year sophomore cheer team members this year will be Nevaeh Moore, out of Columbus High School, and Makiya Pickens, who was a member of the EMCC women's soccer team a season ago by way of Southeast Lauderdale High School.

EMCC's nine incoming freshmen will feature two tandems set to continue their cheerleading careers together for the Lions. Grenada High School's Presley Williams and Madison Woodard will reunite with fellow former GHS Charger Ty'Lecia Lemon. In addition, former St. Aloysius High School classmates Crawley Haller and Lollie Stevens will make the trek together from Vicksburg to Scooba. Stevens will serve as student team manager for EMCC's cheerleading squad.

Rounding out EMCC's 2026-27 cheerleading team will be Kelsie Dewberry, who will rejoin fellow Louisville High School Wildcat Kaylee Goss, local product Reagan Grady (Kemper County HS), along with Ashlyn Clay (West Lauderdale HS), Aidyn Ivy (Pisgah HS), Myka Watson (Petal HS), and Anna Lauren Watts (Kosciusko HS).