The 2016 Effingham County High School competition cheer season was a successful one for the Lady Rebels as they finished with a fourth-place showing at the GHSA State Cheerleading Competition.

During the season, the squad participated in four invitational competitions, including two in the Atlanta area, and earned one third-place finish, one second-place finish and two first-place finishes as ECHS began its first year in the AAAAAA classification.

Anchored by nine seniors with competitive experience at both the regional and state level and led by head coach Katie Ward and assistant coach Monica Kessler, the Lady Rebels secured the Region 2-AAAAAA Championship title and earned an advance to the state finals.

In their first year as AAAAAA competitors, the senior class became the the first in school history to have placed all four years of high school.

“Although it was our first year in the extremely competitive AAAAAA division, the Effingham County High School competition cheerleaders represented both our school and county well as we are the only team from Southeast Georgia with a top-four state finish,” team member Delaney Simich said. “In doing so, we upheld the name ‘Effingham County’ and the tradition of Rebel Pride.”