For Carli Zerphey, nothing beats the thrill and challenge of being a cheerleader. The Elizabethtown Area High School (EAHS) junior not only loves the sport, but she had an opportunity to show off her skills when she was chosen to cheer for the Big 33 Football Classic on May 30.
"I love everything about the sport, and I love how I decide how I am going to push myself and advance with my skills," Carli said. "You have to fight for what skills you want. There is always room to be better and to have people push you to be able to throw the needed tumbling or be able to overcome the fear of being up in the air in stunts."
Carli, who is the daughter of Suzan and Tim Zerphey of Elizabethtown, started cheering as a preschooler. "I grew up watching my sisters (Brooke and Taylor) cheer and being involved with the sport. I quickly knew that's what I wanted to do," she remarked. She cheered for the Elizabethtown Boys Club from age 4 until she started high school, at which point she cheered for the varsity team. This past year, she cheered at World Cup in Lancaster.
She knew she wanted to try out to cheer at the Big 33 Football Classic after seeing her sisters make the team when they were seniors in high school. "I really wanted to participate because I watched both of my sisters perform on the team and I love cheerleading," she said. "I wanted to be involved with more teams and opportunities with the sport. I also knew it was considered a big accomplishment for cheerleaders, so I wanted to see if I had what it takes to make the team as well."
The Big 33 Football Classic originated in 1957 and features top football players from Pennsylvania going head-to-head with the 33 top players in Maryland. Many of the players have gone on to careers in the NFL, including Kyle Brady, Joe Montana and Dan Marino.
Carli, who is a member of the National Honor Society and also plays varsity softball at EAHS, found out she made the cheer team after a softball game. She had some stiff competition. In total, about 150 girls from Pennsylvania and Maryland tried out for 67 positions, making up two teams. Cheerleaders were randomly assigned teams for the game; Carli cheered for Maryland.
She also made the varsity All-American Cheer Team after being nominated at a National Cheerleaders Association camp. "After I was nominated, I had to try out for the team," she said. "This team is made up of athletes from all across the 50 states, so it's a big accomplishment."
Carli noted that along with allowing her to indulge in her favorite sport, cheering with the Big 33 team had additional benefits. "I tried out not knowing anyone," she commented. "It was really about making new friends from all over the area."
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