Mustang teams go five-for-five to advance

The Brick Mustangs Pop Warner football cheerleading program has enjoyed success in the past but never like this, with all five teams advancing in tournament competition.

Three teams won their age bracket competition and two finished in second place in the Jersey Shore Pop Warner competition held recently at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton.

And the 119 girls from all five teams will be back at Sovereign Bank Arena on Saturday competing in the Central qualifiers. Those top finalists go on to the Eastern Regionals on Nov. 19 with a shot at qualifying for the nationals at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on the first week of December.

"This is probably the first time in many years that all five teams advanced," said Tina Certo, head of the program. "Jersey Shore is such good competition and it's so hard just to get out of that with the talent."

The Jersey Shore winners include the Pee Wee Large Gold Intermediate of coach Nancy Skoog, the Junior Midgets Small Intermediate of coach Ann Fish and the Midgets Small Intermediate of coach Barbara Seipel.

Second-place finishers are the Junior Pee Wee Gold of coach Cathe Murphy and the Pee Wee Small Green Intermediate of coach Lisa Taylor. Only one team advanced last year - the Junior Pee Wees.

"We were very successful. I was hoping for one team but to have five is very amazing," said Certo. "We're pretty darned proud of them."

In preparation for success and possible travel to Orlando, Certo said her program met on Sunday to plan fundraising. If any of those teams qualify to go to Walt Disney World, the room and admission to the amusement park area costs $400 for each girl's stay, and airfare and food are extra.

Certo said her group expected good things from the Midgets because they have some cheerleaders from the Junior Pee Wee 2003 national championship team. The Midgets consist of seventh- and eighth-graders.

The Mustangs Junior Pee Wee Gold squad that consists of 8- and 9-year-olds finished ahead of Wall, which has won national championships in that bracket in recent years.

The Pee Wee Small Green Intermediate consists of fourth- through seventh-graders. The Pee Wee Golf Large Intermediates is fifth- through seventh-graders and the Junior Midges are sixth- and seventh-graders.