When it came down to the execution of their route, the Battlefield cheerleaders really could not have done too much better at the third annual Spirit Bowl.

Only one out of 10 teams -- the host Stone Bridge High School's junior varsity squad -- actually emerged from the competition without a single deduction. The safety judge whack Battlefield exactly once: a three-point hit for boosting some of their pyramids earlier than others.

None of the other eight teams could claim a better score in that department. But, alas, every point counts as Battlefield finished two points behind the younger Stone Bridge team 488 to 486 for a fourth place finish while the host squad's varsity team (524) and BHS's cross-county rival Forest Park (509) topped out last Saturday in Ashburn.

"Our goal is first place," said Jasmine Zellers, one of the team's captains.

The event in Loudoun County and Spiritfest held Oct. 2 at Park View High School essentially served as a warmups for the big moments of the season. Torrero singled out the all-county match set for Oct. 13 as the first in a series of potential trophy stops with the Cedar Run District championship soon to follow two weeks later on Oct. 27.

Judges graded Spirit Bowl contenders for motions, dance, tumbling, stunts and jumps while rewarding extra points for degree of difficult. On the latter, the Bobcats banked on setting themselves apart from the opposition by performing Texas Twisters during their intro to the floor.

"We've added in more skilled tumbling, more difficulty to (our) opening stunts," said Alyssa Burke.

Twisters involve pairs of athletes, with one standing (the base) and the other twirling (the flyer). The basic motion calls for the flyer to wrap her arms behind the base's shoulders and neck and launch herself in one direction feet first.

The flyer then slides under the base's arm to land belly-down on the base's hunched-over back. The flyer then pivots into a 360-degree twist. All the while, the forward motion continues as the flyer slides toward the base's other side, jutting under the arm and back toward chest. There, she can latch her arm's behind the base's neck. The base's job then is to catch the flyer's legs and cradle her upper back, holding her up in a manner similar to the classic groom-holding-the-bride pose.

"You have to be tight, head up," said Johnna Dominick. "You won't see anyone else doing it until next year."

Executing such moves without falling and still coming away with a fourth place finish speaks to the level of competition Battlefield faced this past week and is certainly an indicator of what the Bobcats can expect at districts.

One of the keys to securing future victories then, it seems is to max out scores in each category while adding even more difficulty and skill to a routine that already features more flips, twists and air-boosts than is just about possible to count without replay.

"I know we can always be louder with our cheer," said Taylor Cross.

A goal for the team is be among the intimidators instead of the intimidated, according to coach Emily Torrero. To reach that, the team needs a constant flow of leadership.

The captains identified teammate Annaleigh Beich, originally listed as a Spirit Bowl alternate, as an up-and-coming star in the making. Beich, a junior, worked her way up from the freshman and junior varsity levels to giving pep talks for the varsity squad and being relentlessly upbeat.

"She just has the best attitude," said Burke.

Battlefield trains up to six days a week, so when it comes to show day, slapping on a smile and rocking their moves on the mats is "natural," according to Zellers.

"We're going to sell our whole routine the whole" time, said Dominick.