Dallas Drive Rallies to Capture the 2026 Pro Cheer League Season Title

After a first half stumble, Dallas completes an amazing comeback to become the league's first champion

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Pro Cheer League season concluded with the Dallas Drive shifting into a higher gear as they caught the Miami Metal at the finish line. After three matches, the title looked like a certainty for Miami, but a two-point swing after a rules review ended up opening the door just enough for Dallas to storm back with two dramatic wins during the last regular season and championship matches. The battle for third place also came down to the last event as the Golden State closed its season by pulling ahead of Atlanta in the final quarter.

With all quarters worth double their usual 1-4 points with 2-8 points at stake during the championship and only a two-point gap in the standings when the match began, it was anyone's game. After winning the first quarter and tying Miami's season points total, Dallas fell flat across two second-quarter endurance games, finishing last and falling six points behind with only two quarters left. They opened the third quarter against Miami in All Girl Big Trick, which meant they had to win a judge's decision, then do the same against Atlanta to keep their title hopes alive. Dallas managed to impress the judges both times and narrow the gap to two points for the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter opened with another clutch Dallas win over Atlanta in highest tumbler, which ultimately set the stage for a dramatic final matchup in Bullseye with the entire season at stake.  

With the whole arena standing to watch the drama, Dallas's trio of Asa Ware, Caleb Aich and Alondra Flores each delivered a score of 9 out of 10, tying the highest team total for the game all season and securing the championship thanks to tiebreakers. Since each match winner takes home $15,000 and the league winner earns another $25,000, Flores's final pass secured a $40,000 prize for the team along with the championship trophy.

"What we saw tonight here in Nashville was incredible. Dallas showed the spirit of a champion, fighting their way back and never letting up when it mattered most," said John Newby, Commissioner of the Pro Cheer League. "That resilience we saw from all four teams is what cheer is all about. And across the board during this inaugural season, every athlete has raised the bar with the talent, dedication, and heart that have defined the Pro Cheer League and set an exciting standard for what's ahead."

First Quarter

• Dallas extended their dominance of first-quarter prepared routines with a sharp performance that was even cleaner than the previous match. Even though the other teams continued to add difficult and new twists to narrow the gap, the judges rewarded the ongoing consistency of the Drive with a first-place finish.  
• Miami Metal finished second, followed by Golden State Grit in third and Atlanta Air in fourth.
• After the prepared opening routines, the remaining quarters featured specialized head-to-head events that determine seeding and points available in each round. Teams are assigned a quick competition, with the winners advancing to select a new game to determine the overall winner of the round. The losing teams compete in a second event to decide third and fourth place.

Second Quarter

• The coed and all girl endurance games provided many defining moments, and the second quarter provided a final test of strength and strategy for all four teams. While Dallas stayed close to Miami in the total standings, the two events had often proved challenging for them as their three opponents all featured skilled specialists who had pushed their scores for the event higher almost every round.
• Coed endurance has each team's strongest duo complete as many popovers as possible in 45 seconds without a drop. The Golden State Grit's Oscar Perez and Gillain Rupert quickly completed 40 popovers, setting a high bar for Dallas that ultimately led to a bobble and a trip to the loser's bracket with 29 recorded.
• In the other matchup, Atlanta posted 40 popovers before dropping their athlete, but Miami's Kollin Cockrell had been waiting for another chance at the game since the second match in Atlanta. With the crowd chanting his name, he lifted Julia Romero into the air and obliterated his previous high mark with 68 popovers. Afterwards, he promised the record setting was only just beginning, and his next goal was to hit 100 next season.
• Since the winning teams determine the next games based on a coin flip, Miami did their best to ensure Dallas would fall further behind, selecting Flash Pyramid for the winners' bracket and ensuring Atlanta and Dallas competed for third and fourth-place points in All Girl Endurance, a game where Atlanta has shone and set records all year.
• Atlanta appeared to have shattered the previous record of 46 tick tocks, but a replay review determined there had not been full control on a heel stretch, meaning the team had to settle for tying the mark. Dallas pushed hard to match but ultimately fell before the time limit was over.
• In the winner's bracket, Miami was eager to have another chance at Flash Pyramid, a best-of-five game where each team quickly competes to see who can first build a pre-determined pyramid. The first team to build three structures wins the matchup. An uncharacteristic Miami drop in the last match against Atlanta is what allowed Dallas to win and tighten the standings.
• Despite a flurry of challenge flags and review, Miami triumphed 3-1 over Golden State, picking up all eight points to Dallas's two and suddenly extending their lead to six points with two quarters left.

 
 Third Quarter

• Since Dallas and Miami were paired together in All Girl Big Trick to start the third quarter, this meant Dallas had to win to keep their title hopes alive. The game winner is determined by who the judges conclude demonstrated the best all-girl team stunt skills during their allotted time.
• While both teams earned positive marks, Judge Allie Moffatt shared that Dallas was "just a little more solid in their execution."
• Atlanta then edged Golden State in the other decision to advance to play Dallas in Coed Big Trick, a game where some of their recent roster additions had upset Miami in the last match.
• Despite the confidence they built in Anaheim, a couple of mistakes as they pushed for an even harder routine allowed Dallas to take the round with their own solid performance, earning all eight points available.
• Miami and Golden State then played Last Pass, where four athletes from each team showcase their tumbling skills. Three of the tumblers perform a synchronized pass across the mat before a solo pass from a fourth athlete.
• Miami opened the round a little out of synch and Golden State took this opening to attempt a very difficult multi-directional pass they couldn't land cleanly. The judges acknowledged that both times made mistakes while showing impressive skills but gave the four points to Miami.
• This meant Miami's lead was down to two for the season's final quarter and both teams would determine the championship during the final moments.
• Before the final showdown, The Dallas Drive were announced as the winner of the championship's final fan favorite vote, which ended Miami's three-match winning streak and meant they would hold the award for the entire offseason.

Fourth Quarter

• After the last round of Highest Tumbler saw a dramatic winning moment for Dallas in the last match, the energy picked up as the teams prepared to do it one more time to end the season. The rules are simple: each team has three chances to clear a set bar height at the end of a tumbling pass.
• Miami and Golden State went first, with Miami shaking off an early fault to clear 7'8 and move into the winner's bracket.
• Dallas and Atlanta had a similar outcome, with a couple of faults allowing Dallas a simpler path to victory.
• The two wins meant that the entire match and championship first hinged on a coin flip to determine if they played Hangtime or Bullseye. Despite Dallas rooting for Hangtime, a game they didn't lose all season, the flip didn't land their way, allowing Miami to select Bullseye.
• Bullseye has three athletes from each team complete a tumbling pass before attempting to land on a floor target. Points are awarded based on how close they land to the center, with the top three scores determining the winner.
• Before that last moment, Atlanta and Golden State did compete in Hangtime, with the Grit's Kenzi Carrothers flying a few inches higher in her layout than Atlanta's Kylie Shores, giving them a triumphant final moment as they secured third place for both the match and season.
• With the crowd and all four teams standing, it was time for the final Bullseye.
• For Dallas, Asa Ware, Caleb Aich and Alondra Flores each delivered a score of 9 out of 10 while Miami's Skylar Graves, Kory Little and 19 Dora recorded 8s, giving Dallas a 27-24 win.
• Alondra Flores clinched the win with her final pass and landing, with her winning moment also recognized as the performance of the night.
• Since season tiebreakers are determined by who wins the championship match, Dallas held the final tiebreaker over Miami.
• Dallas Drive Coach Tucker Hunter once again punctuated a celebration with his thoughts on his team and the stakes of the last few matches: "This feels incredible – the whole journey from where we started to where we ended. All the matches have come down to the last game and to come out on top is incredible. From day one, this team has had so much fun. We've been successful because we've been having fun out there."

Game Notes

• Dallas finished the season on an official two-match winning streak plus the adjusted shared win in Houston on judge's review, proving how close the two teams were all season.
• Alondra Flores and her husband TJ Taylor both compete for Dallas Drive and have been sharing the moments with their young daughter all season long.
• Entrepreneur Mark Cuban was spotted taking in the championship while meetings fans and athletes during the event.
• Dallas won prizes of $15,000 for the match win and $25,000 for the season win. They had previously won $15,000 for their win in Anaheim and $15,000 as part of the judge's adjustment after Houston, bringing their season total to $70,000.
• Miami won three matches for a total of $45,000 in prize money.
• The Pro Cheer will return for a second season and more information about schedules, teams and what's next will be released in the coming weeks.
• Replays of the match will air periodically on ION and are available on demand through Varsity TV.

Video and image assets from the league and each match are available here or by following @procheerleague on social media.

Media Contact
Brian Bianco, [email protected]

Box Score (each round worth 2-8 points)

Final Season Standings

*Won championship tiebreaker

About The Pro Cheer League 
The Pro Cheer League presented by Varsity Spirit is the world's first professional cheer league.  Featuring paid elite-level cheer athletes at the top of their sport, the Pro Cheer League takes cheer skills to a professional stage. The first season started on January 2026 and featured teams in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and San Diego competing in five matches across the country before Dallas won the first-ever Pro Cheer League champion. Updates on team rosters, schedules and other league news can be found at procheerleague.com or by following @procheerleague on Instagram.

SOURCE Varsity Spirit