<p>Sherry Cooneys first cheerleading squad at the State University of West Georgia wasnt competitive, but displayed the courage of champions after three of its members died in a van accident.</p><p>Six years and two national championships later, that courage has inspired a film project.</p><p>Plans are in the works to make a movie about the small cheer squads tragedy-to-triumph story.</p><p>It started on Aug. 10, 1997, when a van carrying the 12-member team to a cheerleading camp in South Carolina blew a tire and rolled on Interstate 20 near Crawfordville, Ga.</p><p>All but one in the van were ejected, and all suffered injuries. Coach and driver, Stephanie Shaw, and team members, DeAndre Hamilton and Michael Massa, died from their injuries.</p><p>The site was so horrific that the state trooper who worked the accident quit his job that day.</p><p>Cooney had moved to Carrollton the night before. She had planned to take over as the cheer squads coach as Shaw was set to complete her masters degree and take another job.</p><p>In Cooneys debut as the teams coach, some cheerleaders wore casts. Others sat in wheelchairs.</p><p>The first game we had three girls and three boys healthy enough to cheer, Cooney said.</p><p>Before the accident, Cooney had no plans to make the West Georgia cheerleaders a competitive team.</p><p>After competing in college and coaching a competitive team at George Mason University, Cooney moved to Carrollton with the understanding that the squad simply supported the schools football and basketball teams.</p><p>A drive to compete grew as the crash survivors recovered.</p><p>I think I wanted to do it more than anyone at first, said Matt Houck, who was hospitalized for a week with a deep cut across half his torso and other injuries.</p><p>Houck lost his best friend, Massa, in the crash.</p><p>I wanted to do it for him, Houck said. I thought it was a way to bring closure.</p><p>The team placed fifth in the 2000 national championships, improved to third in 2001, and then won the Division II titles in 2002 and 2003.</p><p>Cooneys co-ed team is seeded No. 1 and the all-girls team, now coached by Houck, is the No. 2 seed for the 2004 national championships in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 17-18.</p><p>The teams success prompted Daniel Jackson, vice president of Carroll Tomorrow _ a branch of the countys Chamber of Commerce _ to pitch the idea of a movie to Richard Mix, who as president of the Carrollton Film Partners is working to bring film projects to the area.</p><p>From the start, Mix has made the movie _ with a working title of Cheer the Brave _ a community project. He is recruiting local investors and says he will use as much local talent as possible.</p><p>Much of the movie will be filmed at the State University of West Georgia, and in return Mix presented the university foundation with a $20,000 check at a Dec. 10 press conference.</p><p>Our goal is to make a film the community can be proud of and the university can be proud of and can hopefully put some money back in our investors pockets, Mix said. If it goes beyond that, its just a bonus.</p><p>Mix says he is well over halfway of raising the $1 million needed for the movie.</p><p>Marietta attorney Sam Hensley is writing the script. Hensley is a partner with Randy Ser in the Los Angeles-based production company Journey Entertainment. Ser will direct the movie.</p><p>Mix and Hensley say Cheer the Brave may be a made-for-TV movie, but they dont want to limit their options, which will be determined in large part by their ability to attract a big-name actor to lead the cast.</p><p>Were not going to be silly and put it out there where its something its not, Mix said. The budget, the manner in which were conducting business, is not where its a big-budget film, but well let other people tell us that.</p><p>Mix and Hensley say the focus of the film will be on the resolve of the surviving members, not the tragedy.</p><p>The whole idea of this story is to celebrate the spirit and courage of those involved, Hensley said. We have to remember those who did not survive, and those who suffered greatly.</p><p>Mix said the relatives of one victim have asked that their family name not be used in the film.</p><p>Houck said he supports the project but also initially had concerns.</p><p>Too many times when movies are made there is too much dramatic license taken, Houck said. I wanted to make sure it was true to the story, knowing it was my best friend who dies in the wreck and knowing his parents.</p><p>Houck says excitement about the movie has included some predictable jokes on the cheer squad like Wouldnt it be great if Matt Damon plays me?</p><p>Hensleys brother, actor Shuler Hensley, already has agreed to play the role of West Georgia athletic director Ed Murphy in the movie. Shuler Hensley will play the role of Frankensteins monster in the upcoming movie Van Helsing, scheduled for release in May.</p><p>The Hensleys are the sons of Sam Hensley Sr., a former Georgia state representative and senator who is an associate producer for the project.</p><p>As plans for the movie continue with the promise of casting and filming in 2004, Cooneys focus is on winning another championship.</p><p>Weve given no thought to the movie itself, Cooney said. We dont have time for that.</p>
