Frredom High School cheerleading coach, Alicia Zito, has stepped down, and Lynn Spina will take over as head coach this upcoming school year.

Spina, who also coaches the Lehigh Valley Lightning All-Stars, was hired in May, and will be assisted by Ausjoli Nieves and new junior varsity coach, Courtney Norder.

The Patriots will roster 27 varsity spirit cheerleaders, 23 junior varsity spirit cheerleaders, and 20 competition cheerleaders.

"I'm very excited to work with these girls. I want to bring a lot of pride to Freedom, and I want the girls to bring more spirit and cheer into the school every day," Spina said.

Now that cheerleading is considered a high school sport and the PIAA has its own set of rules and regulations, Spina hopes to work within those boundaries while maintaining the high standards of Freedom cheerleading.

"Alicia is a really good coach, and I respect her and everything she did," Spina said. "I'm optimistic about getting the opportunity to come in to coach at this time."