Scarlet Hawks dethroned 11-time State Champs

By Chris Villani,

Sports Writer

The Division II state girls’ cheerleading championship had started to look like the Billerica invitational until Milford High broke through this fall. The Scarlet Hawks snapped an 11-year run of Billerica at the top and won the Division II state title.

“Defeating the 11-time reigning state champion in Division II was pretty cool,” said head coach Heather Johnson.

Milford’s latest title is the program’s 7th. The Scarlet Hawks were on top during both the fall and winter seasons in 2021, though they competed in the coed division in those seasons.

This year, with a roster of just 12, Johnson said her team focused on improvement after some early-season bumps that included injuries and a second-place finish at one of the team’s invitational tournaments.

“Their willingness and their drive to do really well drove them, they never settled for less,” the coach said. “Our first couple of competitions were not our best.”

Milford won its own invitational, but Johnson said she noticed a shift in her team after it came up short.

“That next week, there was a fire in their eyes, they didn’t like the way second-place felt,” she said. “After that loss, it really pushed us to practice harder.”

Milford came within a point of toppling Franklin during the Hockomock League meet in  a performance Johnson described as “phenomenal.” Her team went on to capture the Division II South Sectional crown and the state championship. 

Leading the way for the Scarlet Hawks this fall was their quartet of captains, seniors Addy Kudrikow, Maddie Hamilton, Julia Fontes, and Payton Gosselin.

“They did a tremendous job of keeping the team focused and motivated throughout the whole season,” Johnson said. “They were pivotal in making the team as good as they were this fall.”

MHS succeeded this fall despite having one of its smallest teams in years. Johnson had 17 athletes in total, including the 12 who competed. She said it’s the first time in 26 years at the helm in which Milford has not fielded a junior varsity team. Still, she said the roster she was able to put together was built to compete.

“I always try to pick the team with the most opportunity to be successful, that’s always the goal,” she said. “They did really well. As soon as they ramped up and we got to the playoffs, they were flawless.”