The best hand to have in cards is a royal flush. That’s what it feels like to see five Eastern Suffolk County Schools take home the Section XI cheerleading championship for their respective classes. Suffolk Strong, indeed!
Taking home the titles this season were Class A: Sachem East, Class B: Hauppauge, Class C: Mt. Sinai, Class D: Port Jeff, and Coed: Ward Melville.
Sachem East has notched a three-peat, winning its third consecutive Class A championship. The girls are led by the Aghabekian twins, Brianna and Victoria. The Messenger spoke with the sisters last season after they secured their second consecutive Class A title. The [East] Arrows will advance to States that’ll be held in Binghamton at the beginning of March.
The Hauppauge Eagles followed suit, casting a repeat of their own with the claiming of their second consecutive Class B title. The gals took home the game day title in the fall and captured the traditional title this winter. According to the team, the Eagles earned the highest score amongst all participants and all divisions. Hauppauge is coached by Laura Candela and Matt Jones.
Class C was taken by Mt. Sinai, a team The Messenger reported on earlier this season. The Mustangs are coached by Megan Wesolowski and Matt Kenefick. Their trophy case is impressive, considering they were only established ten years ago. With this title, they are now nine-time county champions.
For Class D, the title went home with Port Jefferson. Led by Emily Koplar, the Royals established themselves as a top-five team in New York State when they competed at States last season. The Royals followed up a state’s appearance with a 2025-26 Suffolk County title.
Last but not least, taking home the coed title was none other than the Patriots of Ward Melville. The girls and Ian are led by Georgia Curtis and Maggie Hurley. The Messenger was fortunate enough to speak with Curtis and a handful of her cheerleaders a few weeks ago to get their thoughts on what it means to compete for Ward Melville on the mat.
With counties all squared away, sights are set on states. All five teams have experience at the state level, having competed in past seasons. Sachem East won in ‘24 & ‘25. Mt. Sinai is a six-time state champion, with their most recent one coming in ‘24. Hauppauge claimed a state title in ‘19 & ‘20. Ward Melville took home the title in both ‘24 & ‘25. Port Jefferson competed in 2025 and finished in the top five at the competition.
Game Day or Traditional, it makes no difference to these teams. They’ve honed their craft and have shown what it takes to be the best in their class. The teams have a few weeks left before they leave for states, the perfect amount of time to perfect their routines.
The 2025-26 New York State Championships will be held the weekend of March 7, at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, NY.
Congratulations to Sachem East, Hauppauge, Mt. Sinai, Port Jefferson, and Ward Melville for winning their respective 2025-26 Suffolk County titles this season!
