Members of the Hopkinton High School cheer team pose for a photo outside the state championships at Worcester State University on Nov. 24.

Midway through Hopkinton cheerleading’s routine during the state competition on Sunday, coach Rachel DeMore started to tear up.

“I knew that they left everything on the mat,” DeMore said. “I started crying. It was embarrassing, but I was just so happy for them.”

Throughout the season DeMore, who cheered for the Hillers between 2011 and 2015, believed that her team could achieve this goal. For her athletes, however, getting to states was more of a dream than something they thought could be a reality.

“I believed in them this entire time, and I have been telling them that we could get to states,” DeMore said. “They said, ‘It would be amazing if we get to states, but I don’t think we will.’ I said, ‘It’s possible, we could do it.’ ’’

The Hillers placed 12th at the state competition in their first appearance at the event since the fall of 2015.

DeMore praised her assistant coach, Ally Link, along with senior captains Teagan Perry, Hailey Minka and Sara Hakansson for helping Hopkinton earn a coveted spot at the final event of the season.

“Our captains just poured their heart into this season,” DeMore said. “They tried their best to motivate the team every step of the way and be positive on the rough days. If I ever didn’t have the right words to say to get everyone going, they did. They were so instrumental.”

DeMore is in her third year with the program and her first full year as the head coach. She said the program has been building to this point over the past couple of years.

“I think something clicked for them this year,” she said. “They started beginning to accomplish a higher skill level, and they had more difficulty in the routine.”

DeMore said she saw the fruits of her team’s hard work during the Tri-Valley League meet. That also is when the athletes started to believe in themselves.

“They said, ‘Wait a minute, can we do this?’ And I said, ‘You absolutely can,’ ’’ DeMore said. “They have so much determination and commitment and love for cheerleading. They were able to come together so amazingly this season to accomplish what felt like a lofty goal but was definitely within reach.”

About half of Hopkinton’s fall cheerleading squad will compete with the program this winter while others take part in dance, club cheer or other sports. The winter season is a bit of an unknown with the expected turnover in the roster, DeMore said, but she is hopeful that the team’s performance this fall has raised the bar for the program.

“I am hoping that moving forward, we have the confidence and the ability to feel like they can compete with the top teams,” DeMore said. “Because they absolutely can.”