Cheerleading

Program Overview

Season:

Fall - Fall Cheerleading

Winter - Winter (Competition) Cheerleading

2026-27 Opening Dates:

Fall - August 17

Winter - TBD

Teams: Varsity, Junior Varsity
Head Coach: Miranda Mitton

The Golden Trojan squad cheers at all home and away varsity football games and continues its longtime traditions of creating “candy bags” for football players and coaches. The dances and cheers performed by the team are not unlike those that have been used for decades. A Thornton Academy touchdown, for example, is accompanied by the traditional T-H-O-R-N-T-O-N cheer to the beat of the pep band’s drums. Thornton Academy also sponsors a fall junior varsity team that follows the home schedule of the Golden Trojans junior varsity team.

Thornton Academy also offers a cheerleading program during the winter season as well. The winter cheerleading program also includes a competition element that was initiated by the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) in 1987. Competition cheerleading incorporates a number of elements, including gymnastics, dance, and sideline cheer, into a three-minute choreographed routine. The Thornton Academy competition cheerleading team competes in a number of invitational events (such as the Maine Cheerleading Coaches Association competition and Cheers from the Heart), the SMAA league championships, and the Class A South regional meet. The top six teams in the regional competition qualify for the Class A state championships held at the Augusta Civic Center and Cross Insurance Center (Bangor) in alternate years. 

All practices and take place at Linnell Gymnasium. There are tryouts for selection to the varsity and junior varsity squads. Separate tryout processes take place during the fall and winter seasons.