Miami Metal Rallies for Dramatic Comeback Win in Houston

A strong second half caps off the most competitive and closest match of the Pro Cheer League season

HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pro Cheer League season's third match at the Toyota Center in Houston started last night with all four teams ready for takeoff. After two Miami wins in Indianapolis and Atlanta, the stakes were high in "Space City". Dallas started the match strong, determined to close the gap as they dominated the first two quarters, but Miami stayed close. They raised their game in the second half, completing a final-round comeback to preserve their perfect season. The win secured another $15,000 in prize money as they can continue to seek to sweep the regular season's final two matches.   

"Every match, it's clear these athletes work hard and push not just themselves, but each other to new heights," said John Newby, Commissioner of the Pro Cheer League. "Each team leveled up this week and advanced to the winners' bracket throughout the match, giving us our closest scoring match yet. The energy from the fans in Houston made the match even more incredible and we want to thank everyone for making it another memorable night for the league."

First Quarter

• Dallas opened the match determined to start strong, hitting one of the most impressive opening routines of the season as they beat out the Miami Metal for all four points.  
• Golden State introduced a new routine focused more on traditional coed stunting and their team strengths, taking third place over Atlanta.
• Next, the prepared routines give way to specialized head-to-head events that determine seeding and points available in each round. Teams are assigned a quick competition, with the winning teams advancing to select a new game to determine the overall winner of the round. The losing teams compete in a second event to determine third and fourth place.

Second Quarter

• The second quarter opened with Atlanta and Miami facing off in the Coed Big Trick event, where Hailey D'Lynn and Josh Hill demonstrated the solid, elite-level skills and reminded fans why they are one of the most decorated stunting partners in the history of cheerleading.
• Across the bracket, Dallas and Golden State faced off with Dallas quickly building on their first-quarter win. Joe Harris and Anu Keene were eager to not only add to their strong start but also bounce back from their second-place finish in Atlanta.
• These wins meant Dallas and Miami's emerging rivalry once again took center stage in 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.
• The Drive kept their collective foot on the gas and Asa Ware, Caleb Aich and Benji Chester tumbled in perfect sync before Kobe Williams brought the house down with a double back layout.
• Halfway through the match, Dallas was ready to show the season standings weren't closed to settled yet.
• Atlanta and Golden State faced off for third place in All Girl Big Trick, where each team showcases their best all-girl team stunt skills. Atlanta showed their previous win in the last match wasn't due to homefield advantage as Journey Norris, Jada Thompson, Jaya Hardy and Miyah Dennis impressed the judges for the extra point.

Third Quarter

• Up to this point, the night had belonged to Dallas and Miami, but Golden State and Atlanta stepped up in the All Girl Endurance event to show there was no shortage of talent.
• Kenzie Carrothers led Golden State to a record-setting 46 tick tocks, easily beating Miami before Atlanta took advantage of a Dallas heel slip.
• This was the first time Miami had been sent to the losers bracket all season.
• Golden State and Atlanta advanced to compete in Coed Endurance, an event where each team's strongest athlete takes on the challenge of completing as many popovers as possible in 45 seconds without dropping.
• Jonathan Taylor and Autumn Schless demonstrated that there is no shortage of strength and talent across the league as they completed 48 popovers, coming close to Miami athlete Kollin Cockrell's previous record of 52 and taking all four points in the third quarter. 
• In the losers' bracket, Miami had a chance to gain points on Dallas in Flash Pyramid, a best-of-five game where each team quickly competes to see who can first build a cheer pyramid. The first team to build their pyramids faster three times wins the matchup.
• Miami quickly swept Dallas, handing them their first defeat in the event all season, narrowing their lead before the fourth quarter.
• They also defended another title, winning the fan favorite vote and keeping the title belt in hand before the final match of the regular season.

Fourth Quarter

• The final seeding game was Bullseye, where each team completes a tumbling pass before trying to hit the center of a floor target.
• Dallas and Miami went head-to-head with a high-scoring first round ultimately coming down to inches as the three Metal athletes recorded 25 points to 24 from Dallas.
• Atlanta and Golden State needed two overtimes to settle this event in the last match, but Golden State took control this time and quickly advanced for a showdown against Miami. Kenzie Carrothers nailed her last pass of the round to secure the win, earning the performance of the night.
• Dallas and Atlanta then competed in Hangtime, where both teams had one layout basket toss to see who could send their flyer highest into the air. Dallas Drive Captain Maddie Hayes continued her dominance of the event, easily soaring above the competition to secure two points for Dallas.
• Everything came down to Golden State and Miami facing off in the second flash pyramid event of the night. Even a dramatic judge's video review couldn't stop Miami's comeback, setting off another wild celebration as they extended their winning streak.

"We stayed calm and confident in what we were doing," said Miami Metal athlete Tayler Shapiro. "Anaheim, you better be ready because we're coming for you."

The next match will be live on Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET from the Anaheim Convention Center before the season concludes with a championship match in Nashville on March 27. While Miami is leading the standings, the final match will be worth double the previous number of points in the regular season, adding more meaning to the remaining matches. Ticket information and how to watch live on ION is available at procheerleague.com. 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. Additional items will be added throughout the season.

Media Contact
Brian Bianco, [email protected]

Box Score (each round worth 1-4 points)

Standings (after three matches)

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 season started on January 2026 and features teams in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and San Diego that will compete in five matches across the country to determine 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.

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SOURCE Varsity Spirit