Cheerleading runs in this family

It's one thing to burst forth with those heart-stirring words, "Cheer! Cheer! For Old MHS!," and it's quite another to do it for three generations, stretching all the way from 1955 to 2016 and possibly beyond.

What am I talking about? I'll tell you true: I'm talking about three generations of the Fahnholz-Pearson-Simmonds family, who have contributed cheerleaders for McCook High School's pep squads in the 1950s, the 1980s and, now, the 2000s.

The family's cheerleading tradition started way back in 1955 -- 61 long years ago -- when sweet, little Peggy Fahnholz was selected as one of the Bison's cheer team members. That class was special because it was one of the last to graduate from the old high school, which stood east of the present Central Elementary School.

Peggy went on to live and work in the McCook area most of her life, marrying George Pearson, a railroader. Peggy also had a lifetime career with the farm credit offices of McCook. Now, Peggy and George are living their retirement years in Arizona, but they still keep close tabs on their kids and grandkids back in McCook.

The Pearsons have lots to be proud of. Their daughter, Tonda (Pearson) Simmonds, kept the family's cheerleading tradition alive, serving as a Bison cheerleader in 1988.

From there, fast forward to the 2000's, during which Tonda and her husband, Mike Simmonds, have produced another crop of kids to cheer for the Bison. The older Simmonds' girls, Brittanie and Baylie, set the pace, serving as cheerleaders in 2007 and 2013.

Now, the youngest Simmonds' daughter, Bria, is taking her turn, fulfilling a key role with McCook High School's award-winning 2016-2017 cheer squad.

Only one of the Simmons' daughters, Brenna, a 2016 MHS grad, did not go down the cheerleading path. Instead, she worked, first at Hillcrest Nursing Home and now at The Coppermill, where she serves as a waitress while getting ready to go to McCook Community College to begin her college studies.

"I'm mighty proud of all my daughters, and their mother and grandmother, too," Mike Simmonds said. "They all love the Bison and are dedicated to giving the school and the community their full support."

It causes one to wonder: Will the family's cheerleading tradition go forth into the fourth generation? There's hope. One of the daughters, Brittanie, is married, and she and her husband, Eric Scarbrough, are the parents of two sons, Isaiah and Dravon, both of whom are already talking about being Bison football players. While playing on the gridiron will make it difficult for the boys to be cheerleaders, there's still hope for a fourth generation cheer leader. Brittanie and Eric could have more kids, perhaps even a girl, and so could Baylie, Brenna or Bria, should they marry and have children.

No matter what happens, the Fahnholzes, the Pearsons and the Simmondses have done their part, pepping up Bison teams for more than six decades. Yes, it's the Bison athletes who carry the load on the fields, the courts and the tracks, but who knows if they would have been as successful as they have been without the support and encouragement of Bison cheer teams for the past century and a third.