COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – High School football and school spirit in West Georgia are back and stronger than ever. With the added excitement around the return of packed Friday night lights, Head Coach of the Northside High School cheer team Kristan Macphail says summer practices, hard workouts and more have prepared her athletes to entertain the crowd to the fullest extent.

“So we always say that the crowd comes to the game for the football players, but it’s our responsibility as cheerleaders to assist the band in entertaining the crowd,” said Coach Macphail. “So on top of cheering and dancing they’re also jumping and stunting and tumbling as much as possible.”

The Northside cheerleaders have five stunt groups that go up in the air, as well as learn and preform pyramids for the crowd. This is all in addition to cheering, dancing and tumbling the night away.

Cheer Captains Asia Roper and Olivia Joyner say the clinics, practices and hard workouts do more than just help them prepare for the sideline.

“Not only is it important for us to be prepared so we look good,” said Roper. “But I think it also provides a sense of bonding for the team.”

Joyner says the preparation and practice the sideline cheerleaders endure is all in an effort to insure the crowd remains entertained and hyped up for their football team.

“People overlook cheerleaders sometimes, but we’re the ones that hype up the crowd and football players,” said Joyner. “They obviously do a lot for the team and they play the game, but we hype up the crowd and which also encourages the football player to do better.”

Northside won their game against Shaw High School last night with a 46-14 win.

News 3 this Morning will be highlighting different sideline cheer teams across West Georgia and East Alabama every Friday morning ahead of our Friday Night PrepZone where Sports Director Rex Castillo and Weekend Sports Anchor Jack Patterson give you all the Friday Night Football Coverage and breakdown you could dream of.