When you think of "dynasties," maybe you think of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Or Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics. Maybe Joe Torre and the New York Yankees.

Well, here's a new "dynasty" for you to consider: Jessica Gallup and the Highland Rams.

In 16 of the last 19 years, the Highland cheerleading squad has won the state 5A championship — including the last eight (there was no competition in 2020 due to COVID).

The one constant during that stretch of domination? Gallup, the head coach.

"She is the queen of cheer," said Kristie Watson, who cheered and later coached alongside her longtime friend Jessica. "She really paved the way for southeastern Idaho to grow the sport of cheer. She set the bar high, and continually grows that sport. She's an amazing person."

For Gallup, 48, cheerleading is life — and coaching cheerleading is her life.

"I'm going to die young," she says with a laugh. "I've got great energy. I've been lucky, but I love it. It's my life. I eat, drink and sleep it."

Gallup's love affair with cheerleading began in the 1990s, when she was a Ram cheerleader herself. It would be an understatement to say the sport has evolved since then — it has literally taken on a life of its own.

"We started to see that (evolution) at the end of my senior year when I cheered," said Watson. "There were 12 of us. We started going to a competition in Utah, competing outside of just cheering and providing support. As you watch now, our competition season starts in November, and we have competitions in December and January, and state comes in February … That's where you've seen cheer change — not only are you supporting everybody else, but you're running your own season."

As the sport evolved, so too did Gallup. She began coaching cheerleading right out of high school, working at the middle school level before moving up to Highland. As middle schools started cutting back on training for their cheerleaders, Gallup and Cindy Dixon — another friend and former cheerleading teammate — stepped in to fill the gap. They started their own gym, Cheer Extreme, in Pocatello 15 years ago. Now they train athletes ranging from age 3 to adult. Dozens of future Highland cheerleaders have come through that gym, and when they reach the high school level, they know what to expect in Gallup's program.

It is a physically demanding mix of tumbling, lifts, dance and choreography, and Gallup's practices are all business.

"They are dedicated kids, I'm telling you," said Gallup. "I tell them at the beginning of the year, if I'm here, you're here. If I'm here sick, you're here sick. They do not miss. It's straight up a full-time job. But they are willing to do it … I can train anybody if they'll give me 100 percent."

That's not just 100 percent in performance, either. Gallup holds Highland cheerleaders to high expectations outside the gym as well.

"Honestly, it's one thing to be a cheerleader, it's a completely different thing to be a Highland cheerleader," said Madison Gallup, one of four of Jessica's daughters who cheered for Highland under their mother's tutelage. "It's not just working hard, it's being a team player. How can I be better in school? How can I be a better friend, reach out in the community? It was so much more than being an athlete."

Most years, the Rams not only won the state cheerleading championship, but also were academic state champions. They also engaged in community activities, such as accompanying children on "Shop with a Cop" outings during the holiday season.

"Being a Highland cheerleader requires so much time and dedication," said Madison. "It left the gym. If you're associated with Highland cheerleading, you're expected to be smart, respectful, work hard and be a part of something bigger than yourself."

Clearly, Gallup's demanding coaching style has been integral to the Rams' success over the past two decades. But it takes creativity and imagination to keep developing new routines to impress judges year after year.

"I would say, in the state of Idaho what makes her so good is she does her research," said Dixon, her business partner. "She knows what is going on in competitions, what colleges are doing, what the latest things are. Then she will do her choreography based on that. She doesn't go in blind, she has a plan, and she stays involved in the cheerleading world."

Gallup is always looking for the latest "wow factor" to incorporate into her team's routines. Last year, she introduced "yo-yo poms" — pom-poms on a string that bounce back and forth. One year, she had her squad rip through a banner, like a football team charging onto the field for the first time. She also introduced lighted poms to her team's routine.

"The funny thing is, the state of Idaho, every year we'd try something new, they'd create a new rule so we couldn't do it again," said Gallup. "Which I hated. I'm like, 'Come on, let me use my creativity.' But they're like, 'No, new rule.' I'm like, 'Fine, I'll figure something else out.'"

As you might expect, cheerleading is a family affair for the Gallups. All four of Jessica's daughters — Madison, now 26; McKenna, 24; Marissa, 22; and Miley, 18 — have been part of what Madison calls the "family business." All four referred to Jessica as "Coach Jess" in the gym.

"She just treated them like any other athlete," said Dixon. "She did not baby them. If anything, they got it harder, it was a little bit more tough love. They had to be just as good as anybody else to make the team."

Jessica's husband, Brent, is a supportive part of the Gallup cheerleading dynasty as well. "I wish you could meet my dad, he's a wonderful human being," said Madison. "My mom would not be so successful if my dad was not the calm behind the scenes. He's allowed my mom to step forward. I've never seen my dad not be there for his girls."

That includes helping run the annual competition Jessica's gym sponsors every January at Pocatello High School, which features more than 80 teams.

"It's a jam-packed 18- to 20-hour day," said Jessica.

Over the years, the Highland program has produced cheerleaders for Brigham Young University, Boise State, College of Southern Idaho and Idaho State. Gallup and Dixon's gym also has added a college all-star team that includes male and female cheerleaders from schools around the area who compete in regional competitions.

Looking back on her 29 years of coaching, Gallup says perhaps the most rewarding time came after the fire that destroyed the Highland gymnasium in 2023.

"We lost everything because it was right where our stuff was," she said. "It sent me into a little bit of a depression, because my life was in that closet. All our awards, our banners, everything that we worked for (over) 20-whatever years was in there."

When Gallup's squad bounced back to win the state championship the following February, it brought healing.

"That those girls could overcome that and pull it together — it was hard, it's still hard," she said. "Getting ready the next year, we had no mats. But it's been a great learning experience. Even now we're still practicing at a church. We get to go back to Highland right after Christmas break next year."

When that new Highland gym opens, the school will need to find a way to honor all the outstanding Rams teams that have represented the school throughout its decorated history — none more than the Rams cheerleading squad.