It’s Friday night, the stadium lights are shining and the football team is ready to take the field. There is the rustling of pom-poms and then a loud “LET’S GO BRUINS!” It’s the Trevor G. Browne varsity cheerleading squad, and Gabriel Lopez is leading that chant.

Legacy, inspiration and forever are not common words you hear about a 18-year-old high school senior. But for Lopez, those were the words used most often to describe him.

Lopez who goes by “Gabe,” has been dancing since the age of 11 and cheering since his freshman year at Browne.

“I would see them dancing during halftime, that intrigued me into dancing, because my favorite style of dance is jazz and just the way they dance was kind of jazzy,” Lopez said.

Not only was that moment watching cheerleaders a push, but his friends wre an influence as well.

Sophomore Venecia Cortes, who considers herself his best friend, didn’t know where to start when it came to . With a girlish excitement to her she said, “He’s really hard to describe because of how great he is. I love him so much, he makes me cry.”

There is no doubt that Lopez has had an influence on his team. In only four short months he has brought them closer together as a unit to be the best that they can be.

Walking up to the team on the track was a sight to see.  He has taken the part of a leadership role very confidently. Usually some would find that intimidating, but his gentle tone and bright smile commanded everyone’s attention.

“He was a for sure captain the minute I walked through the door at the beginning of this year,”  head cheerleading coach Kendall Detlaff had to say. Her tone of voice matched the smile across her face when she spoke about her captain.

In a world where women dominate in cheerleading, that was not a problem or concern for Lopez. His confidence was not only infectious, but it was inspiring. He is passionate he is about the sport and eager to inspire others and continue until he’s at the top.

Gabe is a determined soul, one that many can easily connect and relate to, which is why he’s so successful as a captain. His selflessness is what sets him apart from the rest.

"It is everything about him; not just his dedication to the sport, it is his ability to lead," Detlaff said. "It is his passion of the sport. He’s just a really caring person. He cares more about the squad than anything else.

There are the ones who coast through life and the ones who will fight until the finish to achieve everything they have ever dreamed of. In his senior year, Gabe has his eye on the prize. He wants to continue his studies at the University of Arizona, get his degree in dance and be a performer, ultimately owning his own dance studio by the time he reaches his end goal.

On his legacy, Lopez said, “At first I was really hesitant on following my dreams; people were telling me that you’re capable of doing a lot more. That made me be able to have the courage to say 'yeah, I can do it. You can follow your dreams, Gabriel.' Because I was really messing up in school. I was so concerned about cheer and dance, and it’s not like that anymore. (It's) school and then cheer and dance. Yes, I’m a cheerleader. I love cheer with all my heart and everything about it, but it doesn’t come first. School comes first. And if you mess up, it’s OK. You can bounce back. I bounced back. I can honestly say, I bounced back.”