Ever thought about what a typical Raider football game sounds like? The jostling of pompoms, the aggressive flaps of JROTC flags and the victorious cry from the crowd after a touchdown all may come to mind. But in the background of all the cacophony are the horns, drums and winds playing the fight song with each touchdown, making known every single victory.
The Varsity football team took home a win after playing Grand Prairie High School at the Gopher Warrior Bowl Stadium Aug. 30, scoring 49-0. But there was no fight song, no school song and no fanfare to celebrate them.
“I was sad and shocked we were not able to make it to support our football team,” Band Vice President Isaac Abuga said.
Like most of the Thursday Night Lights organizations, the Pride of the East band headed to Grand Prairie roughly three hours before the game, their semi truck—which holds their larger instruments and equipment— and Parent Pit Crew in front with a 30-45 minute head start. According to Band President Jack Rogers, the semi was fairly close to the Gopher stadium when he heard the news: the semi had a flat and a broken rim.
“We [the student buses] pulled into a firewheel parking lot and the directors discussed what to do next and come up with a plan,” Rogers said.
After discussion with the superintendent and other school administration, the band directors decided that the band would not attend the football game. The student buses returned to the school, and the students were dismissed to go home.
“As a band mom and member of the Pit Crew, most of us were either at the stadium or almost there,” Pit Crew member Mrs. Sharyn Vernon said. “Our initial reaction was one of surprise.
The front ensemble, Parent Pit Crew and leadership team members, including Vice President Colin Swanson, remained on their respective buses and drove to the bus barn, where the trailer was transferred, to unload and return the instruments and equipment to the school safely.
“Everyone worked hard to make short work of the job so we were able to leave by 7:30 p.m.,” Swanson said. “The equipment team and the pit crew parents stayed back to unload one more trailer that went back to get our remaining equipment, which took until 8:30 p.m.”
With the band absent at the game, the Drill Team performed to a track recording of ‘80s classic “Take on Me” for the halftime show as opposed to live music.
“The recording was really shaky, so it wasn’t loud enough,” Captain Maysen Harris said. “We also didn’t get to test anything before we performed. It went better than I thought though; there’s a first time for everything after all.”
Today, the band students, staff and parents look back positively on the unprecedented event, celebrating the lending hands of the directors, parents and students that made for a safe return for the instruments and equipment.
“Everyone was disappointed that POTE wouldn’t be performing that evening, as we know how hard the students and directors work day in and day out, although in the long run, it was best that the trailer breakdown happened in Wylie, rather than on the freeway,” Vernon said.
The band also celebrates with the rest of the school the football team’s victory Thursday night.
“The Varsity did that good because of the work they do during their practice,” Casillas said. “The game might have been more exciting and brought more school spirit with us, but it’s the varsity players’ hard work that allowed them to win.”
Although the future of the semi remains unpromising, the band will perform during the next varsity game Sept. 14 against Naaman Forest.
“We now have 2 smaller white moving trucks we plan on using,” Rogers said. “The truck is now in worse condition than previously thought; it’s possible it could be decommissioned, but nothing has been confirmed yet.”
