When the final bass drop hit the speakers at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center this past January, the air in Dallas felt different. You’ve probably seen the highlight reels—the gravity-defying baskets, the perfectly synchronized tumbling, and the sea of blue and gold. But honestly, the NCA High School Nationals 2025 was about more than just hitting a "clean" routine. It was a weekend where the "Work Is Worth It" motto was tested in ways nobody really expected.
Most people think these nationals are just about who has the flashiest stunts. That’s a mistake.
While the All-Star circuit often gets the primetime glory, the High School National Championship is a beast of its own. It’s deeply rooted in sideline tradition. It's about how a team leads a crowd, not just how they perform for a panel of judges. This year, from January 24th to the 26th, we saw a massive shift in how teams approached the "Game Day" divisions, proving that the traditional spirit of cheerleading is making a massive comeback.
The Big Winners and the DFW Dominance
If you were looking for a home-field advantage, you found it. Dallas-area schools absolutely showed out. It’s kinda wild when you look at the raw numbers—18 different teams from the DFW metroplex walked away with top-three finishes.
Take Rockwall High School, for instance. They didn't just show up; they dominated the Intermediate Varsity Performance Small category with a final score of 97.04. That’s a nearly untouchable margin in a sport where tenths of a point usually separate first from fourth.
Notable Standouts from the Leaderboard
- Allen High School: These guys were everywhere. They nabbed 2nd in Advanced Coed Varsity Performance (96.55) and 3rd in Intermediate Coed.
- Marcus High School: Talk about precision. They took 1st in Novice Non-Building Varsity Crowd Leading with a massive 98.55.
- Grapevine High School: A double threat, taking home 1st in both Game Day Rally and Intermediate Varsity Crowd Leading Small.
- Coppell High School: Cleaned up in the JV/Freshman Game Day Small and Novice Varsity Performance Medium divisions.
It wasn't just the locals, though. Denver Christian High School made the trip from Colorado and absolutely smoked the Intermediate Non-Tumbling Varsity Crowd Leading (Medium) division with a 96.9. It proves that the "non-tumbling" path is becoming one of the most competitive and technically demanding brackets in the NCA circuit.
The Chaos Everyone Is Talking About
Now, we have to address the elephant in the room. If you were following the news in March 2025, things got messy—but there’s a major distinction to make here.
There was a massive panic during the All-Star Nationals (the club-level teams) later in the spring, involving a fight between parents that many mistook for gunshots. It led to stampedes and, unfortunately, several lawsuits against Varsity Spirit.
The NCA High School Nationals 2025 in January was, thankfully, a much more controlled environment, but the shadow of that later event has caused a lot of confusion. People often lump "NCA Dallas" into one big bucket. For the high schoolers in January, the focus remained on the blue mats, though security protocols were visibly tighter than in previous years.
Why Game Day Is the New "Gold Standard"
For a long time, the "Performance" divisions—the ones with the 2-minute and 30-second music tracks and non-stop stunting—were the only thing people cared about. Not anymore.
The Game Day divisions at the 2025 nationals saw some of the highest energy levels of the entire weekend. This category is basically a simulation of a Friday night football game. You’ve got the band chant, the situational sideline (where the announcer says "the home team just forced a turnover!"), and the crowd-leading section.
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Basically, if you can’t get a room full of people to yell "Go, Fight, Win," you aren't winning a jacket. Colleyville Heritage High School proved this by taking 1st in the Game Day Varsity Medium finals. Their ability to use signs and poms effectively is something a lot of younger coaches are starting to study.
The Scoring Myth: It’s Not Just About Difficulty
Here is what most people get wrong about NCA scoring: they think if they throw a harder stunt, they’ll win.
Wrong.
The 2025 scoresheet placed a massive emphasis on Execution and Technique. We saw teams with Level 4 skills lose to teams with Level 3 skills simply because the Level 3 team had better "shaking" (arm placement) and sharper motions. At this level, a "bobble" in a stunt is a death sentence.
The Math of a National Title
- Raw Score: The total points based on the difficulty of your skills.
- Deductions: This is the killer. Drops, touches, and out-of-bounds.
- Performance Score: How you actually looked—your energy and "showmanship."
- Event Score: The weighted average that determines the final ranking.
Practical Steps for the 2025-2026 Season
If you're a coach or an athlete looking at these results and wondering how to get there next year, you need to start now. The "Go Be Great" award isn't just handed out for fun; it's about the culture of your program.
- Credentialing is Mandatory: Don't forget that for the upcoming season, 75% of your squad must participate in the Varsity Spirit/NFHS Credentialing Program. No credentials, no Dallas.
- Focus on the "Crowd Leading" score: Spend 20 minutes of every practice just on signs, poms, and megaphones. It’s the easiest place to lose points and the hardest place to make them up.
- Watch the Rebroadcasts: Varsity TV keeps the 2025 routines archived. Watch the winners in your specific division. Don't look at the stunts; look at their transitions. How do they move from one spot to another? That's the secret sauce.
- Plan for Austin? Rumors have been swirling about the event moving to Austin in the future. Keep your travel plans flexible and watch the official NCA bulletins for venue updates.
The 2025 season showed us that high school cheer is evolving. It’s getting more athletic, but it’s also getting louder and more community-focused. The teams that won didn't just have the best athletes; they had the most heart and the cleanest routines.
Honestly, the work really is worth it.
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What to Do Next
If you are aiming for the 2026 jacket, your first step is securing a bid at an NCA Regional or Virtual Championship. Most teams find it easier to qualify early in the fall to get the choreography locked in by December. Start by reviewing the updated NFHS safety rules for 2025-2026 to ensure your "dream pyramid" is actually legal before you spend six weeks practicing it. Also, keep an eye on the "Game Day" rubrics, as the situational response section is expected to carry more weight in the coming season.