The conversations become repetitive, with ‘state title’ bandied about every other sentence. For the Greyhounds, it is all about winning a state title, which has become their holy grail.

Lisbon came pretty close last year and surprised itself at New Englands. The Greyhounds took second place in the Western regional and second place in states.

“Our goal is to definitely duplicate or do better,” Lisbon coach Nicole Adams said. “This season, we are upping the bar.”

There was no room in the budget to hire a choreographer like a handful of bigger schools do, but Adams and her Greyhounds are used to going it alone without outside help.

Although Lisbon operates on a tight budget, the Greyhounds’ numbers are up and that’s greats news for the entire team.

“This year, we have quite a few freshmen,” Adams added. “Most of our team is freshmen. They are definitely going to be learning and developing their skills.”

Confidence is high for the Greyhounds with the their added depth and last year’s success.

“A state title would definitely be wonderful to take and attend New Englands,” Adams said. “They definitely have a goal and mindset on what they want to do this year.”

The drive to capture a state title began when last season when the Greyhounds finished on a high note. The opportunity to compete in New Englands against teams outside Maine sparked that dream.

“It definitely put a drive in us to return to New Englands,” Adams added.

“Certainly a state title would be awesome, “ senior Loren Grant said. “Lisbon has never had a state title so it would be awesome to be the first. Go out with a bang. We have a lot of talented cheerleaders this year.”

“We are all very, very hungry for that state title,’ senior Abby Curtis said. “We came very, very close last season and we want to take it.”

For senior Mataia Shane, this season is all about Lisbon pride — and, of course, winning the state title.

“This season I want to go out and push myself more than last year and hopefully we will get states,” Shane said.

“After seeing New Englands and experiencing their caliber down there, we are definitely upping the bar,” Adams said.