The Coosa High competition cheerleading squad worked hard for their second-in-a-row Class AA state championship in November — and the celebration isn’t over just yet.

The state champs got the opportunity to celebrate with a Roman crowd while being recognized between the first and second quarter of the NAIA championship game at Barron Stadium on Thursday night.

For head coach Beth Nichols, the recognition was an honor for her team that worked so hard throughout the season for that one first place win in Columbus.

“It’s very special. It’s an honor for them to think of us twice and want to recognize us again,” said Nichols.

For the girls, it meant commemorating their hard-earned victory with friends, family and familiar faces.

And being recognized at the same event a second time around doesn’t make it any less special.

“I just felt really honored that we got to go out there again and have this chance again,” said Coosa junior and squad member Caroline Shepherd.

Nichols noted that although the Coosa championship was a repeat, many team members were getting to experience all the excitement around winning state for the first time, including Coosa junior Rachel Waters.

“I wasn’t on the team last year, and it was really great to be recognized in front of our hometown,” said Waters.

“I was on the team freshman year and we didn’t get to do any of this stuff, and it was really exciting to get to do this for my junior year, and being lucky enough to be recognized in front of all those people was exciting.”

The Trion High cheerleaders were also recognized at Barron between the third and the fourth quarters.

Trion has developed a reputation as a cheerleading powerhouse and their three-in-a-row Class A state championships back that reputation.

After bringing back the championship from Columbus, the Coosa cheerleaders have been honored in numerous ways around town.

On Thursday, Waters and Shepherd noted how great it feels to be recognized by fellow Romans in their hometown.

“At state we’re in front of our fans, but getting honored in front of our hometown was an honor and really exciting,” said Waters.

Shepherd added: “Everyone is there at state, but when you’re in your hometown and get to be recognized here, it’s a privilege.”

Of course, with all the hard work that the Coosa cheerleaders put in, it was a very deserved privilege.

“It was a really great year. We were all really close this year and worked really hard for this,” said Shepherd.

Waters was equally as thrilled with their fairy-tale season.

“It just makes me proud of our team because we worked so hard,” she said.