Spirit Squad Director - Gwen Wedd

Coach Wedd is back as the Spirit Squad Director after retiring from the position over 4 years ago. Before returning, she held  the director position for more than 25 years while teaching in Lawrence Public Schools. Coach Wedd and her husband, former head football coach Dirk Wedd, graduated from Lawrence High School in 1970.  Their son Shane graduated in 1996 and their daughter Lora Hardesty graduated in 1998, both from Lawrence High.  The Chesty Lion tradition is a sense of pride for the Wedd Family.  

Head Cheer Coach - Deondrae Phillips-Worrell

Deondrae grew up and cheered in a small town in Northern California and is currently on the Cheer team at the University of Kansas. Deondrae brings years of experience and an abundance of cheer knowledge to our program. Not only does Deondrae bring skill, he brings a passion for building something special here at LHS.

Deondrae has also served as a UCA Staff Member in the Northern California region, choreographed gameday and traditional state routines, and judged for KSHSAA cheerleading competitions. His background reflects a strong understanding of both performance and precision within our sport.

What defines Deondrae is his passion for staple gameday traditions, his love for refining and teaching fundamentals, and his drive for team success at the gameday and competitive levels. His vision for our program is to raise the bar at state, foster a culture of peer support, hunger, and unity as we grow this program, and to encourage creativity within the program.

“I am so excited to take this next step and join the Lion family, and I can’t wait to jump in. I hope for this team to feel supported, pushed, and proud of what we’re building, be it on the competition floor, practice floor, or gameday environments. So thankful to join this legacy!” -Coach Deondrae