Valpo Senior Boys Sign for Collegiate Cheer

Valparaiso High School was proud to witness seniors Jack Feltgen and Alfonzo “Fonzie” Casaday officially sign and commit to cheer at the collegiate level next year. Casaday, who has cheered for the Vikings for the past two years, will be attending Indiana State, while Feltgen, who just began his cheer career this year, will attend Texas Christian University.

Both boys are incredibly excited for their new environments and opportunities next year.

“I didn’t make the decision to cheer until this year, and it really was just based off of the skills I knew I had improved upon and the fact that I was enjoying it so much,” Casaday explained, “Getting the Indiana State fans excited and pumped up next year will really be fun, and I’m also very excited just to attend ISU and meet new people.” Casaday also pitches for the VHS baseball team, but said that while his athleticism helped initially when he began as a lifter on the cheer team, it all became much more skill based than he would have expected.

Feltgen, who played football throughout high school, is equally as thrilled to make his transition to TCU. “The turning point for me deciding to cheer was really at the end of my season when I realized how confident I was with the progress I had made and skills I had acquired,” Feltgen shared. “I’d already been accepted to TCU, and I really was excited to have found my place there. When I decided to try out as a lifter, it was incredibly competitive. There were over 70 people that tried out, and they ended up keeping roughly 30. I can’t wait for the game atmosphere next year, whether it’s basketball or football, with thousands upon thousands of fans there cheering with us.”

Coaches Kara Wissing and Cindy Sabella could not be more happy for the seniors.

“Male cheering is such a great way to stay active and physically fit in college, especially for these boys who were high school athletes accustomed to rigorous workouts,” Wissing continued, “I never thought these boys would end up continuing their cheer careers in college, but I couldn’t be more proud of both of them! Fonzie improved immensely from last year to this year, and Jack picked up skills very quickly.”

Sabella agreed, “These boys have been a very pleasant surprise for us and it’s awesome! Their skill level has just really progressed, and it’s been so nice having them to make our stunts safer and keep things fun at practice.”

Casaday will study Physical Therapy at ISU, and Feltgen will major in Film and Video Production while minoring in General Business.

Congratulations, Jack and Fonzie!