A Deadly Bus Accident Leads Hundreds Of Cheerleaders To Band Together In Support Of Rival School

Dozens of cheerleading squads in Texas are turning their talents and efforts towards supporting a rival school following a tragic bus accident on last Friday.

Hours after a big win for the Braves, hailing from a small Texas town of Iraan, a bus carrying the team’s cheerleaders and sponsors was hit by another car, killing their coach and injuring seven other passengers.

In a strange bit of happenstance, The New York Times had traveled to Iraan to cover the night’s game as part of a sports feature:

Students not just at Iraan, but throughout the state were devastated by the news, and quickly banded together for a coordinated show of support for those affected.

Said Victoria Limon, a cheerleader at Sam Houston High School said, "When my coach told me about it, I was really heartbroken. I can’t imagine that happening to any of my teammates or having my coach pass away like that."

Thousands of other students share the sentiment, and they’ve organized to exhibit their sympathy and solidarity in magnificent fashion.

On Friday, Iraan will have the bittersweet experience of competing in its first playoff game since the accident. It’s expected that over 500 cheerleaders from other schools and thousands others will turn out to cheer on the team and those grieving.

Support on social media from distant schools spread all over the state has been nothing short of overwhelming, with the hashtag #backthebraves proliferating on Twitter.:

While the accident is still fresh in the mind of many parents and students at Iraan, this Friday night they’ll have most every high schooler in Texas cheering them on to victory.