“LEAD Strong” is the motto of this winter’s Coupeville High School cheer squad, tying into the traditional family feeling the team has built over the years.

“We call it a sisterhood that takes care of one another, and when anyone is feeling down, we lift them back up with positive words of encouragement,” said coach Cheridan Eck.

“LEAD,” Eck said, stands for “Love Everyone Always, Duh.”

The team includes only two seniors and three returning members (junior Destiny Bitting and sophomores Sylvia Hurlburt and Jovanah Foote).

The squad has 12 newcomers, including eight freshmen, with senior Emilie Crichton returning after taking last basketball season off.

Crichton and Bitting will serve as captains.

Although the team is young and inexperienced, it has quickly “bonded and worked hard to learn new routines, cheers and stunts,” Eck said.

Her expectation for her team, she said, is “to keep every fan in the crowd energized for our teams with our positive loving attitudes.”

Other team members include senior Shelby Hall; juniors Camilla Rische and Cierra St. Onge; sophomore Sydney Autio; and freshmen Bree Daigneault, Emily License, Fiona Bernhardt, Kenzie Moran, Naiika Hallan, Payton Wilson, Robin Cedillo and Aly Roberts.