On Saturday, Sept. 6, the Marching Warrior Band and Cheerleaders met for the “Meeting of the Warriors” at Lycoming College.
Not only did the students have the opportunity to play and perform at a college football game, they also had the chance to explore Lycoming College’s campus and music facilities.
Director of the Marching Warrior Band, Mr. Chris Morgan, commended Lycoming College for making this part of the day “informative” as well as “open and inviting.”
Morgan, being an alum of Lycoming College, also elaborated on the “exciting and nerve-wracking” feeling surrounding his return to campus, this time with his own students.
“Bringing our band to showcase what we do at THE place that made me into a Band Director is a big leap of faith, but I knew our band would represent us well and show off all that we have learned in our time together!” Morgan said.
The students arrived at Lycoming College around 10:00 AM and walked through campus to the Trachte Music Center where they were given a presentation about the college.
After campus exploration, the students were bussed up to David Person Field to get ready for the game. The band set up their instruments in the stands, while cheer prepared their pompoms and practiced with the Lycoming cheerleaders.
“I was hoping that our band would learn how integral the band and cheer squad can be to a game, even when it’s not our team playing,” said Morgan as he expressed his hopes for the event.
Once the band was ready to go, they were allowed an hour to get food and walk around before the game started.
Sophomore clarinetist Estella Smelko reported that this ‘hour of freedom’ was the coolest part of her day because she roamed around the sports complex and ended up watching the rest of a field hockey game before she had to be back in the stands for the game.
When the game started, the band immediately started hyping up the crowd and the team with their stands tunes. Some band members from Lycoming College joined MAHS in the stands as well, one of them being Montoursville alum, Randi McKenna.
McKenna stated how “unforgettable” her experience playing in the stands was, saying how “It brought back so many memories” from when she was a member of the band in high school.
“The best part of the day was connecting with the students who were only freshmen when I was a senior,” said McKenna. “They really are incredibly talented individuals and it was great to hear about what they are involved in and the places they are going.”
Sophomore clarinetist Arabella Lucas said that all of the band students that played in the stands from Lycoming College were “funny and nice.”
At the end of first quarter, the MAHS cheerleaders combined with the Lycoming cheerleaders to perform a cheer routine to Chappell Roan’s, “Hot To Go,” which was played over the stadium loudspeakers.
Junior cheerleader and percussionist, Paige Rosenbaum, said the experience was “really fun,” and that she “got to learn a lot about college cheer.”
At halftime, the Marching Warrior Band performed its show, “Fire It Up!” and received many compliments afterwards from the members of the audience.
“It was definitely one of the best shows we have had,” said Morgan. “Hearing the crowd cheering and supporting us was the icing on the cake.”
When asked to describe what it was like performing at a college football game, Freshman colorguard member, Zelma Haight, said, “It was so much fun! Being able to perform in front of an audience who doesn’t usually get to see that type of thing was like performing the show for the first time all over again!”
After the halftime show, the band took a break from playing in the stands, but the cheerleaders continued on.
Rosenbaum described what it was like to cheer at a college football game, saying “We got to do some pyramids right in front of the band, which we never do, and they cheered us on!”
Finally, the band rejoined the stands for the fourth quarter and played almost non-stop to close out the game.
The Lycoming College Warrior football team played the Technical College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and ended up losing 24-27, but the band and cheerleaders did their part in hyping the team up for their first game of the season.
Overall, MAHS students from both band and cheer said they enjoyed the event and were grateful for what the experience provided them.
Many members of the Warrior Band claimed that their participation in this event made them interested in continuing marching band in college.
Haight said that she wanted to try marching band in college because she “would miss participating in it.”
Lucas also expressed how the “Meeting of the Warriors” changed her interest in pursuing music in college, saying, “I really wasn’t gonna do marching band or anything music-related in college, but I think now I just might do band and marching band.”
Overall, the feedback from the audience members about the band and cheerleaders’ presence was incredibly positive.
“I’ve seen several comments commending the band after our performance and asking if we could come back for EVERY game!” said Morgan. “That kind of admiration and recognition speaks to the power of supporting the arts here at Montoursville.”
FEATURE PHOTO: The Marching Warrior Band and MAHS Cheer pose for a group picture outside Lycoming College’s Trachte Music Center. This photo was taken in the morning after the informational presentation and campus tour. Photo from the Montoursville Music Department Facebook
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