Coming off South-West Conference championship seasons a year ago, Newtown High School’s dance and cheerleading squads are back for more postseason success this year. The dancers look forward to performing at halftime of football games this fall, and the cheerleaders are excited to get the crowd going from the sideline, as well as on the field during halftime demonstrations as they work toward their own postseason competitions.

The dance team, coached by Cheryl Stenz, has the motto “New Team, Same Dream,” as the fall campaign gets underway.

It’s pretty much the same team with the same dream: more postseason success. A trio of graduates leave a bulk of the lineup back in place as the dancers try to successfully defend their Hip-Hop and Jazz championships in the SWC, as well as the Large Jazz Division state title.

“This year, we are working toward maintaining our status at the top of both the SWC and in the state,” Coach Stenz said. “We also hope to gain exposure for our team by continuing to perform within the community at events such as the Arts Festival, the Christmas tree lighting, and other events.”

The team is led by senior captains Nicole Connolly and Jenna Siroky, and junior captain Charlotte Stenz.

“We put in a lot of time — a lot of effort. We work with really great choreographers,” Cheryl Stenz said.

“We’ll be at the first game on the 26th. That’s our big debut,” said the coach, referring to the home opener for the football team, a September 26 visit from Pomperaug of Southbury to Blue & Gold Stadium for a 7 pm game.

“It’s definitely exciting. We’re ready to win SWCs and states again,” Connolly said.

“We’re going to have to work super hard for that,” Charlotte Stenz added.

The cheer squad, in addition to earning the SWC championship, came in third in the state competition a year ago.

Senior captains are Kate Skalkos and Sophia Matsis, and juniors Chloe Amante, Madeline Bridges, Laken Hughes, Jess Mullany, Lindsay Skalkos, and Liz Zambernardi will continue to serve as strong leaders, Coach Sue Bridges said. They are all third- or fourth-year returning team members.

The squad lost five cheerleaders to graduation, including two who are cheering in college: Olivia Ingham at Coastal Carolina, and Samantha Luzietti at Bucknell (cheering alongside former teammate Amy Caporale).

This year’s version of the Nighthawks is a young one as 14 of the 22 on the roster are freshman and sophomores.

“I have been very impressed with what they have been able to accomplish so far with such a young team. Our juniors and seniors are such strong leaders and talented athletes they set the tone for the team,” Coach Bridges said. “We would obviously like to do as well as, or better than, last year. Right now we are focusing on getting stronger, building skills, and staying healthy, and looking forward to an exciting football season.”

Many of the girls volunteer with the town’s youth cheer program. They teach the up-and-coming cheerleaders a variety of cheers, work motions and jumps, and choreographed competition routines. They volunteer two to three nights a week, plus a day on the weekend from August through December.

The Newtown High cheer squad will also work with the Unified Team, The NHS Spirit Team in October this year.

The season, in effect, got going at the Labor Day Parade when team members handed out programs as part of their volunteer efforts. NHS cheerleaders will attend the Light the Night event in September to cheer on walkers and sell glow in the dark items, donating all proceeds to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

In October, the girls will sell bracelets to donate money to the American Cancer Society in support of the fight against breast cancer. In December, the team plans to be involved with the Newtown Fund’s Adopt a Family program for the fifth time.