HOUSTON — At just 19-years-old, Penelope, Groves, is stepping onto one of the biggest stages in professional sports as a rookie cheerleader for the Houston Texans, turning years of dedication and hometown pride into a dream come true.

The former Port Neches-Groves Indianettes captain and Kilgore Rangerettes lieutenant said she wasn’t ready to hang up her dance shoes as she prepared to graduate from Kilgore College. “I decided to take the chance, and try out for the Houston Texans,” Penelope said. “And I just think it was the right move for me, because it was a nice challenge.”

When the acceptance email arrived, she said she could hardly believe her eyes. “I opened the email and it said, like, congratulations, you’re a Houston Texan cheerleader,” she recalled. “I kept looking at it over a

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