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In simpler times, all we cared about was Netflix's Cheer. Here's what the cast are doing now.

Ah, January. A simpler time, when toilet paper was in abundance and our biggest concern was whether Jerry would make mat.

Remember those days?

Three months ago, we confined ourselves to our homes before it was in vogue and enforced due to a global pandemic, so we could watch the Navarro cheer squad and their coach Monica Aldama prepare for Daytona in Netflix’s Cheer.

Watch the trailer for Netflix’s Cheer and you’ll instantly understand the hype. Post continues below video.

Video via Netflix

It led to us following 20 cheerleaders on Instagram and naming our plants Jerry (true story), because we loved them.

But now, three months later we’re… here. In this current situation, wishing we could go back to a time where we worried about strangers on our screen landing pyramids instead of COVID-19.

The Cheer cast are probably wishing this too: The pandemic has led to the cancellation of all cheer competitions including the big one, Daytona, which was scheduled to happen April 8-12.

We need a little Cheer back in our lives, so did a little investigating to see how Morgan, Lexi, Jerry, LaDarius, Gabi and the rest of the Navarro team are going.

Gabi Butler.

 

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Wearing a ring, but ain’t gon’ be no “Mrs.”

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As we heard in the finale episode of Cheer, Gabi left Navarro to move home to Florida. She now cheers for Top Gun in Miami, has relaunched her YouTube channel with behind-the-scenes footage from Navarro’s trip to Daytona and, get this: She’s also gained more than 700,000 followers since the series dropped and now has 1.7 million followers.

Gabi’s reportedly dating Florida football player Jordan Brooks-Wess.

In reference to COVID-19, Gabi wrote on Instagram that she’s realised recently to “not to ever take a single second for granted… because you truly never know what can happen or when it will be the last time that you see someone… let’s try to keep in touch and reach out to those who we may not talk to as often. I love you guys with all my heart and I hope everyone is staying safe.”

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Jerry Harris.

 

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Hey guys! I want to thank you all so much for all of the love and support you have shown me! I never in a million years thought that I would get this kind of attention, especially from people outside the cheer world! It is crazy! I have been blessed to have some kind and loving people in my life. My “cheer moms” have looked out for me and helped me since I lost my mom when I was 16. Since CHEER came out, several people have reached out asking how they could help me. In response my cheer moms reactivated the Gofundme that they set up for me four years ago. I am overwhelmed at the response and generosity. I don’t really have the words to express how thankful I am for all of this and all of you. I have been so blessed in life and I’m so grateful for all of this love! Thank you all so much! I love you all so much!❤️ P.S. the link is in my bio:)

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We must protect Jerry at all costs.

The fan-favourite received a scholarship to the University of Louisville in the Cheer finale, which would have spelled the end of his Navarro days. Since filming, Jerry actually did attend the college for a semester.

But the he headed back in Corsicana, Texas.

“I actually went last semester [to Louisville] but was missing Navarro so much so I reached out to Monica and asked if there were any openings for me and she said yes, so I decided to seize the opportunity to make myself happy and do what I wanted to do. So, I decided to come back,” Jerry told Esquire.

“As of right now, it’s just another semester, I don’t know where I’m going to go after this, school-wise, but I’m just happy I get to spend a couple more months with my family.”

His ‘cheer family’ also reopened a GoFundMe page originally started in 2016, to help Jerry financially after his mother’s death. It raised US$60,000.

Jerry has shared a couple of typically-positive messages in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and if Jerry tells us to stay positive, we stay positive.

Morgan Simianer.

Morgan recently completed her Associate degree in Sociology and is now taking a dual enrolment program through Navarro College and Texas A&M Commerce. Yep, that meant she was back at Navarro for another year.

She said at first she was nervous to share her backstory on the show, which involved being left to live often alone in a trailer park by her father before being taken in by her grandparents.

“I was scared I was going to be judged, and that people were going to be like, oh, sob story, blah blah blah, so I was very scared to open myself up to everyone. And obviously we didn’t know it was gonna be this big, so it was even more scary,” she said.

“But once it came out, I realised how many lives my story impacted and how there are so many people that can relate to the same things I went through, and how I’ve been helping and motivating them that like, they can get through the trials in their life… It makes me cry just thinking about it.”

Morgan’s dating baseball player Brad Markey and has more than 1.3 million Instagram followers.

After Daytona was cancelled, Morgan shared a message about how sad she was.

“Navarro College Cheer, you are my everything. My heart hurts that I won’t cheer again. I’m so thankful for the bonds I’ve created and the memories that I’ll carry with me forever. Thank you for shaping me into the person I am today. Thank you for providing a family for me and showing me all that this life has to offer. I’m going to miss everything about this. The program. The people. Everything.”

LaDarius Marshall.

LaDarius ended Cheer contemplating his future, saying he saw himself with a family, a house and “a comfortable lifestyle, where I know I won’t ever have to struggle again”. He said he was considering becoming a personal trainer and a choreographer, or joining the military.

Since then, LaDarius coached a team in Mississippi and went back for one last semester at Navarro.

He told E! Cheer helped him realise he was able to be ” the open, honest, free person that I always wanted to be”.

“It was very tough for me to talk about my past because in my community, we don’t talk about stuff like that. We don’t talk about having mental issues, because we don’t believe in mental issues. That’s what we’re told all the time, and you just keep moving, you just keep pushing. And that’s one thing I really wanted to say is that remember that you have a voice, and if something happens to you, you are allowed to say something and do something about it.”

He said since the series dropped he’d been able to connect with others who had been through similar situations and offer them inspiration and guidance.

The cancellation of Daytona ended his cheer career earlier than expected, and he shared his disappointment on Instagram.

 

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This isn’t goodbye Navarro 2020 it’s see you later. Daytona you will be missed and greatly appreciated. I love everyone one of my teammates and all the love we shared. The end of my cheerleading career has come a bit early. For everyone who supported me all this way I want to say thank you and I love you. I’m heartbroken for my team and coaches. Long live the bright light we all shared together and the countless fullouts we have done to get ready for this competition. I never got to say goodbye to my brothers and sisters but I know we all love each other dearly. To the rest of the world I love you guys and thank you for being our #1 supporters. We love you FIOFMU ❤️????

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“The end of my cheerleading career has come a bit early. For everyone who supported me all this way I want to say thank you and I love you. I’m heartbroken for my team and coaches. Long live the bright light we all shared together and the countless fullouts we have done to get ready for this competition. I never got to say goodbye to my brothers and sisters but I know we all love each other dearly.”

Lexi Brumback.

 

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I have 2 things to say… 1: The rooftop view from Netflix is PHENOMENAL & 2: My big and I know how to SERVE

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Lexi’s story came to a sombre end, but it turns out all was not as it seemed.

Her final scene sees her at a rave, but it turns out this was filmed months before Daytona.

“They made it look like that’s all I was doing when I left, and that’s not the case,” Lexi told Entertainment Tonight.

She said she was “raving the whole time” she was at Navarro. It was about having fun, not making bad choices.

“It was like it was bad and about making bad decisions. They even put that quote in the rave scene and I was like, ‘that’s so messed up!’ It’s not about making bad decisions, it’s about being in an atmosphere and listening to good music and enjoying yourself.”

Instead of heading down a dark path, Lexi enrolled in another school after leaving Navarro before being given a second chance by Monica.

She then went back at Navarro for the 2019-20 season, which came to an early end.

Mackenzie Sherburn aka Sherbs.

 

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From the outside looking in, it’s hard to understand. From the inside looking out, it’s hard to explain.. ❤️ #fiofmu

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We audibly gasped when Sherbs dislocated her elbow during a Navarro practice, meaning she wasn’t able to compete in Daytona.

Fortunately, she made a full recovery and went back to cheerleading, this time for Texas Tech University along with a fellow NC cheerleader…

Austin Bayles.

 

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Get. Your. Guns. Up. ????????????????????????

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Oh, Austin. That ankle injury during the Daytona performance will haunt us forever.

“Dislocating your ankle mid-performance on the bandshell and popping it back into place yourself is never something you can expect to happen in a performance but nevertheless everything happens for a reason,” he wrote on Insta after Daytona happened in April.

“Watching my team retake the floor with my name written on their wrist showed the true dedication, passion, love, and heart that every single one of them had for our team.”

He graduated from Navarro and was cheering at Texas Tech alongside Sherbs, pre-COVID.

A week ago he shared an image with his new team to Instagram, asking “Miss Corona V, can I please have these beautiful people back in my life?”

Allie Ross.

 

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Back to TX tomorrow means back to work????

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Allie went back at Navarro for another year, and was still basketing like a queen right up until quarantine put an end to the season.

Ashlee Sawai and Sydney Andalio.

 

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Words can’t describe how INCREDIBLY blessed I am ❤️ #fiofmuforever

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Ashlee isn’t very active on Instagram, but we feel compelled to share: THERE’S A NAVARRO LOVE STORY.

Ashlee is dating fellow NC cheerleader Sydney Andalio, and moved to New Zealand at the beginning of the year. It looks like they’re still there, in lockdown.

TT Barker.

TT went back to Navarro for a final season and most importantly, his back is doing well.

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When the season ended early, he paid tribute to his “family” on Instagram.

“We may not get to compete in Daytona but I feel like I have already won just by calling y’all family. You guys mean the world to me and I love each and everyone of you.”

Monica Aldama.

 

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Guess who’s BACK??? ❤️???? #NavarroCheer

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The Queen of Navarro cheer has more than 600,000 Instagram followers and counting.

Following Navarro’s 2019 win, Monica was inducted into the Navarro College Athletic Hall of Fame. She held tryouts for this year (we didn’t make it, obvs) and was riding the wave that has come from Cheer.

After Daytona was cancelled, ending the cheer season, she said she was heartbroken for her team.

“I was not ready to say goodbye so quickly. I was not mentally prepared for the team to turn in uniforms, pack their things and leave town. I want to thank the kids for pouring everything they had into this entire year – for the late nights- the games- the community service- the holidays given up.

“They are fighters and have always given me 100%. Their routine was so beautiful and their work ethic was bar none. I have always been able to control the narrative and resort to plan B or C or even Z. For the first time in my life I had no control and my life has been a roller coaster over the past week. What I do know is that we will be back better than ever.”

Monica has kept busy in quarantine with her family and uh, publicly endorsed Jerry for President. We’re into it.