After a scintillating performance, members of the Central Gwinnett High School band sat down on the track on the home side of Raider Stadium on Friday night.
They wanted to see what the Band of Blue would produce, and the home band did not disappoint.
It was as if the Band of Blue was inspired by the performance they just watched, complete with elite dancing, marching and showmanship beyond compare. Several folks in orange and blue remarked that the home band sounded as loud and proud as they had all season, and that is saying something.
What was also nice to see was the members of the Central Gwinnett band cheering on their fellow musicians. Likewise, the Band of Blue offered many congratulations for their counterparts’ show.
It was just an incredible halftime the other night, and really one of the most memorable of my long time in high school football.
The shows were diametrically different in their presentation and style, but they were both so entertaining that anyone who waited until halftime for a bathroom or hot dog break truly missed out. Lucky for me, I never eat at halftime, I am usually too nervous about the game or wound up on adrenaline to think about food.
(Plus, without Hunter, my emotional support human and sometimes Powerade fetcher, I have to climb all those steps myself an extra time. Pass.)
I remember one summer in Florida where I heard a musical medley of Styx music 11 times in a row, and let me tell you, it’s just as bad as it sounds.
When I was in high school, we had around 120 people in the band and 25 or so on the actual football team, even though we were a 6A school. Some people questioned that, but I don’t think we had many pulling guards or D-1 receivers up in those bleachers, so it wasn’t like the award-winning band was detracting from our roster pool.
Our biggest problem was that our baseball players – many of whom were great athletes – did not want to be tackled. We played sandlot ball and lost to the baseball guys when I had two D-1 football players on my team.
Come to think of it, maybe I was the problem? Still, our team could have used some more help out there.
We know how much time our football players and coaches put in long before the lights come on Friday nights, but let’s not forget the time the band puts in, too. Those students and their teachers work hard to put on the best show possible, and we are lucky to live in a world where our beloved band is often imitated, but never duplicated.
Matthew Osborne is the editor of The Northeast Georgian, but he cannot play an instrument or run a 40-yard dash, unless he is trying to catch the taco truck.