MT. PLEASANT >> When Stoney Creek ended a four-year drought with last year’s Division 1 competitive cheer title, then proceeded to graduate a ton from that championship team, it became clear that the road to two in a row was going to go through three.

And no, that three doesn’t necessarily mean the three Rochester Community Schools squads, although that trio for the third straight year registered a 1-2-3 finish at the MHSAA Division 1 finals on Friday at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Center.

It was Stoney Creek’s tiny, three-member senior class — made up of Sarah Adams, Grace Perrera and Sienna Willis — that was going to have to lead the Cougars back to the promised land.

And it did.

The No. 2-ranked Cougars edged cross-town rival, No. 1-ranked Rochester by a razor-thin margin of 0.32, 792.38 to 792.06, to give Stoney Creek its fourth state title, and first-back-to-back crowns.

“Joy, happiness. These kids have really worked hard for it. We graduated a ton of seniors last year. We have a small senior class this year who did an amazing job and really put a lot of time and effort … to really lead this team and bring out the absolute best in them. And the last two weeks have been the pinnacle of the whole season, where it really has become a realization,” said Stoney Creek coach Tricia Williams. “Today, it was just their day. They felt it. There was nothing stopping them, nothing was going to bring them down. And they just did an amazing job.”

After two straight runner-up finishes, Adams finished third (788.62), followed by Hartland (786.06), Brighton (785.12), Grandville (784.68), Rockford (778.14) and Macomb Dakota (776.60).

As the scores were read off in reverse order, it came down to the Rochester trio in the final three. Then Adams’ score was called, leaving just two.

“I can’t even, like, comprehend everything, like, it’s so hard. I’m just trying to take everything, one thing at a time. Hearing our name called last really, just like, sparked something,” said the returning all-stater, Davis, one of those three seniors.

“And I’m just, I get so emotional. I’m just so grateful, and I thank my family, and I think my team is amazing, and we did absolutely beautiful out there. And there’s not a team I would rather end the season with, and my whole entire cheer career with. And I love, love them.”

The Cougars also won titles in 2010 and 2019, before claiming the last two.

“It warms my heart, and I just so grateful, and it’s truly something special to me,” said Davis of finishing her four-year varsity run with a pair of titles. “It’s just like, it’s an amazing feeling. And I don’t … there’s like, almost no way to explain how amazing it feels.”

The senior trio had to shoulder a lot of the leadership load on a team that had to quickly reload after last year’s championship. It was a lot to ask, Williams admitted.

“One other year I also had three seniors. So it’s a small number, but it’s, it’s not about the quantity, it’s about the quality. It’s about the leadership and it’s about the drive and the experience. And these three brought it, so I’m very proud of them,” Williams said. “I mean, they had it stacked against them. There’s only three of them, and there’s 30 kids on this team. That’s a tiny leadership team and a really big team. So yeah, we drew into some of our juniors and talked about their roles on the team, as well. You know, it’s just priming them to be even better leaders their senior year, next year, to be a part of it this year.”

It’s the seventh straight season one of the three Rochester schools has claimed the title in the state’s biggest division, and the 12th time since the state switched from classes to divisions in 2007. Between the three, they have a combined 22 titles, led by Rochester’s 15.

“I think that with all of us having so much talent, it’s very competitive. I mean, we know as with today, just the results, it’s really high stakes, and I think that it all just drives us to be the best athletes that we can,” Perrera said. “I mean, we work three hours every single day, weekend, summer. It’s an all year thing. And I just think that it all motivates us to be more well rounded athletes who just, like, have good mindsets. And I think that it’s a positive thing, if anything.”

And Friday’s competition was just as tight as you would imagine.

Stoney Creek led Rochester by just half a point after the first round, 238.50 to 238.00, but the Falcons shaved it down to just 0.02 points after the second round, trailing just 470.08 to 470.06. Rochester posted a 322.00 in the final round, but the Cougars managed to outdo them there, too, by three tenths of a point, expanding the final margin.

“I feel like it’s the best Round 3 in the state. It was tough having to go first in this round, but I’m so proud of my team, and I know that they put their heart and soul on the mat. Days like this are so bittersweet. It’s the end. We’re celebrating a great group of seniors, and I’m so proud of them. I’m so proud to be their coach, and I really couldn’t have asked anything more from them,” Rochester coach Samantha Dean said.

“We definitely went for it this year with the creativity and the difficulty. I think that our Round 3 was definitely by far the most difficult, and we were able to execute it with perfection. And I’m just really so proud of them. They didn’t want to water anything down or take anything out this year, and you know, they’re a champion in my heart.”