Tight competitions in all four classes are expected when the state’s top high school cheerleading teams compete for state championships Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center.

The competition begins at 10 a.m with Class D teams, followed by Class A. Awards will be presented in both classes before the afternoon session at 2:30, with Class B and C teams performing in that order. Awards will follow for those classes.

The University of Maine cheerleaders will perform in both morning and afternoon sessions.

There are six schools each from Eastern and Western Maine in classes A, B and C in the competition. There are a total of six teams competing in Class D. Each team performs one routine of less than three minutes.

“Because there are so few cheerleading teams in Class D, there are no East and West regionals,” said Mike Burnham of the Maine Principals’ Association.

Class A could be a battle among a group of teams. Lewiston is the defending state champion. Biddeford, which won the Western Class A regional, won three straight state titles from 2008-10 before the Blue Devils won a year ago.

Biddeford finished third in last year’s Class A state championships behind winner Lewiston and runner-up Marshwood.

“I don’t know that there is a favorite,” said Biddeford Coach Deb Lebel, whose team will perform last in Class A.

“We’re all close in scoring. With different judges, it’s hard to determine how the scoring will go.

“Being the defending champions, Lewiston would be the ones to watch. Bangor has been scoring high so you can’t leave them out. Noble can’t be counted out, either. They finished fourth last year. It’s kind of the same teams every year.”

The routines combine dance, tumbling, jumps and stunting, said Lebel, in her 11th season as Biddeford coach.

“We don’t let the kids watch the other teams perform. We’re practicing,” said Lebel, whose team had five competitions during the season.

“We’re always changing our routines during the season. The music is never the same.”

The Tigers beat Marshwood in the Western regionals two weeks ago, but Marshwood and Biddeford reversed the order last week in the Cheers from the Heart competition.

Besides Biddeford, Marshwood and Noble, Gorham, Scarborough and Thornton Academy also will be representing the SMAA.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH