By Gretchen Darby
Truly good things typically don’t happen overnight, but in the case of Walnut Grove High School, it sure seems like they do. In just under six months, a brand new and once virtually unknown public high school in Texas, splashed onto the scene in the small Town of Prosper. The school’s mascot, Wally the Wildcat, broke out of his proverbial cage, and pounced right onto the field with an air of excitement and the thrill of forming new traditions. Since then, the incredible buzz has not stopped for a second. And now, the Walnut Grove Wildcats are giving us even more of a reason to cheer.
Prosper ISD, a district long known for its strong public schools, welcomed a third high school into its portfolio in August 2023. Opening an entire year earlier than originally scheduled, the construction and development of what would eventually become Walnut Grove High School was put into overdrive, to help alleviate crowding and the growing popularity of the town’s already existing two high schools, Prosper High School (#1) and Rock Hill High School (#2).
On August 9th, WGHS finally opened its door under the nickname “The Grove” and has already been highlighted numerous times in popular publications and across social media. We already know that “Everything’s Bigger in Texas”, and WGHS has certainly been no exception to the rule. With its sprawling beautiful campus, high tech features, and athletic facilities that rival most D1 universities, the newly named Cats hit the ground running at lightning speed – developing their school crest, fight song, vision, and staffing needs at record pace. Teachers were hired, booster clubs quickly formed, and parents and students rallied around the new concept with open arms and loads of positive support.
WGHS held tryouts for its inaugural cheer team back in the spring which resulted in a dynamic group of 19 Freshman, 17 Junior Varsity, and 20 Varsity Cheerleaders – for a total of 56 incredible students to represent the school. Led by the experience and passion of Head Coach Destine Grobe and Assistant Coaches Emily Allen and Ryan Long, this fierce family of athletes launched what would very quickly become one of the most talked about high school cheerleading teams in the country.
Focusing on their motto of “One Family – One Heart – One Legacy”, they quickly united with a common goal in mind, spending countless hours practicing and perfecting each routine and formation, down to the last detail. With weekly 6:00am and after-school practices, film reviews, tough workouts, team bonding events, and even student-led bible studies, WGHS Cheer has already begun creating a lasting legacy for many future generations to follow.
Representing The Grove with professionalism and class, WGHS Cheer took to the mat in January for UIL and NCA competitions for the first time as a team. The UIL Competition Team was awarded 5A/D2 Fight Song Champions and 7th Place in the State of Texas at their competition in Ft. Worth. Two weeks later, their second competition team attended the country’s most prestigious competition for high school squads, NCA High School Nationals. In their first-ever appearance, they made quite a name for themselves when they secured the two biggest accolades at the event. Not only were they named National Champions in the Advanced Large Crowd Leading Division, but the Wildcat Cheerleaders outscored every other squad, in every other advanced category, and walked away with the ultimate title of 2024 Grand National Champions! That night can only be described as pure magic by everyone who got to experience it.
Competing against hundreds of other high school teams across the country in a variety of divisions and categories, the Wildcats NCA Cheer Team walked away undefeated for the weekend, but even more impressive was defeating the nationally acclaimed and last year’s Grand Champions – the Brandon High School Cheerleaders from Brandon, Mississippi. Brandon had previously held the national title for the past 3 years and the Grand Champion title for the past 2 years. The hugely popular BHS Bulldog Cheerleaders have their own show on Varsity TV and are highly regarded as a dynasty in high school cheerleading. Their influence and success pushed the Wildcat Cheerleaders even harder to be the very best and and in true Wildcat fashion, the girls additionally clinched specialty awards in their division for Best in Tumbling and Best in Showmanship.
Clearly, it appears that setting #thestandard is a theme not to be taken lightly when it comes to the Walnut Grove High School Wildcats. And just when you think these new cheer-kids-on-the-block might need some time to get their feet wet before reaching the stars… think again. Their claws are out, and they’re ready to take on the world.
Become a fan and follow the WGHS Wildcat Cheerleaders on social media:
Twitter: @Cheer_WGHS
Instagram: @cheer_wghs
Facebook: @walnutgrovecheerprosper
