For new Monterey Wildcats cheer head coach Cedric Brame-Thornton, the return home feels like a full-circle moment.
Brame-Thornton, a Monterey High School graduate and former University of Tennessee cheerleader, accepted the Wildcats’ position in February. Brame-Thornton said he is now using lessons from Knoxville to build a foundation of drive and discipline in his new program.
“Quitters never win and winners never quit,” Brame-Thornton said. “You’ll never get anything that you don’t work for, and if you quit before you get there, then you’re really just shooting yourself in the foot and you’re never going to get there so if it gets hard and you quit, it’ll never be easy.”
Brame-Thornton knows the value of persistence firsthand. During his three years cheering for Tennessee, he helped the Volunteers capture a UCA Game Day National Championship, while also earning second and third place finishes in other divisions.
“Not a lot of people get to experience running through the T,” Brame-Thornton said. “It was great. I learned a lot about teamwork and community. It was a good time.”
His cheer journey began as a mascot for the Wildcats. Without a co-ed cheer program at the time, Brame-Thornton donned the Wildcat costume to stay close to the sidelines and the spirit of the game. Brame-Thornton said that same energy now fuels his coaching. Brame-Thornton said since taking over, he has been embraced by the school community and is focused on teaching unity and precision.
“I’ve learned a lot about how to communicate to high school children and how to get them to work together,” Brame-Thornton said. “That way we can put out a clean, finished product on each Friday and at practice.”
Under Brame-Thornton’s leadership, the Wildcats are adding more advanced stunts, including liberties and spinning, with plans to refine both drills during the basketball season. Brame-Thornton said he hopes to inspire more students to cheer with his new role.
“If you haven’t considered cheerleading whether you’re a boy or a girl, try it out. It’s a fun time,” Brame-Thornton said. “You can learn a lot from cheer, and you can maybe earn yourself a national ring.”