DELBARTON - The Burch High School cheerleaders have already made history and are looking to make more as they go for a state cheerleading championship this Saturday in Charleston.

The Region 4 runners-up Burch cheer team will compete in the Class A cheerleading tournament at the Charleston Civic Center on Saturday. The cheer competition starts at 10 a.m. with the Class AA teams going first, then Class AAA and then Class A will finish the competition. Each class's competition is expected to take about two hours and then the next class competition will begin.

This is the first time in school history that the Burch cheerleaders have made it to state, according to BHS Coach Missy Endicott.

The BHS cheerleaders will have to face some tough competition in Wheeling Central and Clay Battelle, two of the state's top Class A cheer programs.

But, Endicott said her cheerleaders can bring home the state championship to Delbarton if they perform at their best.

"I think they can win the state title," Endicott said. "If my girls hit everything they've got a shot. We can compete with Wheeling Central and Clay Battelle, but, in cheerleading, you either hit it or you don't."

The seniors on the Burch cheer squad said they are focused on winning the gold.

"It's going to be a good experience for us and we've made history," Bev Hall said.

"I'm excited," Sharonaka Ferguson said. "I believe we'll do fine. I have faith in us."

Raquel Thacker said a lot of hard work went into earning a berth in the state competition.

"More hard work than you can imagine went into this," Thacker said, laughing.

Rachel Simpkins said the Burch cheerleaders' hard work is finally paying off. "We've worked our entire lives to get to this point and I hope we can go all the way and win the state championship," Simpkins said. "We'll pray and hope for the best."

The girls have never even cheered in the Charleston Civic Center and the enormity of the building and the competition could make the Burch cheerleaders a little nervous, Thacker said.

"But, it's nothing we can't handle," Hall said. "I think we're well prepared and we'll do just fine."

The Burch High cheerleading team is made up of seniors Simpkins, Thacker, Ferguson and Hall and underclassmen Samantha Ratliff, Kristan Hannah, Tierra Justice, Ariel Jarrell, Tonya Miller, Catie Perry, Sienna Curry, Brandi Justice, Cieara Connolly, Katie Collins and Chelsea Walters.

Former Burch High cheerleader Tracy Slone, who is also the niece of head coach Missy Endicott, is the assistant coach.