SEMO football preview: Cheerleaders work hard to add entertain, excite crowd

This story is part of the Southeast Missouri State football preview series. Click here to read about the importance of the gameday experience and traditions to coach Tom Matukewicz.

The Southeast Missouri State cheerleaders perform for Redhawks fans at the Southern Illinois football game Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014 in Carbondale, Ill. (Fred Lynch)

Joining the Southeast Missouri State football team on its sideline at every home game are 16 athletes that won't step foot onto the field for a play, but whose role helps set the tone in Houck Stadium when the Redhawks are on the verge of scoring a touchdown or need a big stop on defense.

Those 16 athletes are members of the Southeast cheerleading squad.

"We bring the pep, the atmosphere, the energy," cheerleader Kyleigh Branch said. "Our job is when it's exciting to keep the energy going and keep the crowd involved, excited, to be there for the team support. ... Then when the morale of the game is down to try and boost the energy and just try to keep everybody engaged and having the best time that they possibly can."

Tryouts for the cheerleading team were held in April and the members arrived two weeks prior to the start of school for practices.

They had four hours of practice a day and a camp at Lindenwood University on Aug. 14 and 15.

Once school started on Aug. 24 they began their schedule of two two-hour practices per week along with two 1 1/2 hour workouts and a lighter one-hour weekend workout.

Southeast Missouri State fans celebrate with the Redhawks after their 28-21 win over Tennessee State on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

The team does everything from practicing their chants to working on stunts and pyramids as well as weight lifting, cardio and ab work.

Former Redhawks cheerleader and current cheerleading coach Kodie Edmonds noted that several hours of practice goes into learning choreography and perfecting routines.

"They have to be able to do it in their sleep because once you get in front of a crowd the adrenaline, the stress and you have to fight autopilot to perform and do a good job," Edmonds said. "People just don't actually realize how much work actually goes in to what they see out there on the field."

The team's day officially begins 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff so that the cheerleaders can participate in the Redhawk Walk to the stadium with the football team, members of the Golden Eagles marching band and the Sundancers.

The Southeast Missouri State Sundancers cheer during the game against Eastern Illinois Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at Houck Stadium. (Glenn Landberg)

Then they go through their warmups before joining up with the band in the tailgate area. Next they head to the field for the playing of the National Anthem, the fight song and then to make a tunnel for the players entering the field before returning to their sideline spot near the Redhawks' bench.

"It's a really good feeling, especially when you look up in the stands and see little girls that catch onto the cheers and are cheering with us," third-year cheerleader Francheska Lathrop said.

The Redhawks cheerleaders travel to select games each season. They're slated to travel to Columbia, Missouri, for Southeast's season opener against the Missouri Tigers.

"We've put a lot of time into cheerleading, which I feel like some people understand that but a lot of people don't," Branch said. "Extreme practices, I mean, we hit pyramids, stunts, people fall on us, we get busted lips, we get hurt, suffer a lot of injuries, but we keep pushing through. It's not as glamorous as people think it is. Like we're down there sweating, we're struggling, we're tired, we're sore, we're still partially injured and we're still pushing through and managing to be smiling and have like a game face on."