AUGUSTA

The Lisbon High School cheering team knows what it’s like to have won and lost. That’s part of what makes winning their second State Class C championship in three years at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday so special.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Lisbon’s only senior, Alyssa Hall, said. “After last year, it feels good to be back on top, and leaving that way.”

A lack of returning athletes hampered the Greyhounds’ title defense in 2016, but everyone returned this season and a talented group was added to the core that is highlighted by a strong junior class.

“The one we won two years ago, it was the first one ever for the school,” Lisbon coach Nicole Adams said. “To come back and do it again within three years is just amazing.”

To win championship No. 2, the Greyhounds had to beat Central, 70.9 to 68.2, on Saturday. The Red Devils went two spots before Lisbon, and had a routine that was clearly going to be tough to beat. Lisbon expected that.

“Central was definitely our biggest competition,” Greyhounds junior Sydney Douglass said. “That’s the team we were most nervous about. When they were performing, we were like, ‘OK, we cannot watch.’ We didn’t want it to ruin our performance. We were so nervous about them.”

But Lisbon went second and turned in a spectacular performance of its own.

“That was one of the best times we’ve ever performed,”

Hall said. “We all went out there and we were really confident, and we were just trying to have fun.”

The Greyhounds spent the pasts two weeks working on cleaning up their routine, and not have any hobbles like they did when they won the Class C South regional title last month. They came through Saturday.

“They did amazing today,” Adams said. “They did absolutely amazing. So proud of them.”

Douglass said that what makes the Greyhounds special is that winning takes a total team effort.

“We try to incorporate everyone being featured, so nobody’s hidden,” Douglass said, “ because we want everyone to feel equal, and everyone’s part of the team. My coach does a really good job doing that.”

After their routine ended, the Greyhounds did a quick assessment. Did anything go wrong, were there mistakes or hobbles happen?

“And they were like, ‘No, nothing happened,’” Douglass said. “And we were so confident. We didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but we knew, no matter what, we went through the season with an amazing routine.”

Houlton placed third in Class C. Wiscasset was 11th.

Hermon won the Class B state championship. Ellsworth was the runnerup, followed by Medomak. Leavitt came in fifth and Mountain Valley was ninth. Freeport claimed 10th and Morse finished 11th, while in Class A Lewiston took the title.

The magnitude of winning a second state championship is not lost on Hall or Douglass.

“This is my second time. The feeling’s just indescribable,” Douglass said. “ It’s just so amazing, because it’s not like everybody gets to witness this. So, when I grow up, I can tell my kids, ‘I was a state champion.’”

With all but one athlete returning last year, the expectations are certainly high for 2018, when this year’s junior class will be seniors.

“Not jinxing. We’re just going to improve ourselves,” Adams said with a laugh.