The bright stadium lights, the loud band melodies playing and the yelling of the Tiger fans: it’s the start of a great football season. As everyone gets prepared for this year, the band and football team practice every day to put on a great show. The football team prepares for the season by practicing every day for four hours to perfect their techniques and plays. While the band also gets prepared by spending sectional time with each other to make the music sound good, junior middle linebacker River Shelton claims band is not a sport.

“I believe band isn’t a sport because it just doesn’t take as much physical excretion as other sports such as basketball, baseball and football,” Shelton said. “I mean, it does take skill to play instruments such as drums and guitar and stuff, but I just don’t see any physical competition in band.”

As the football team constructs their plays for this year, the band arranges their new show to perform in competitions. Shelton claims that band is not a sport because there is no “physical exertion” with the program. Senior Thompson Matteson says otherwise.

“They get to come together as a team. They’re waking up early to practice and I say teams in practice makes the sport,” Matteson said.

The band practices from 7 to 9 a.m. every morning to perfect their show. Head Band Director Arnie Lawson works the band past their limits to make the show look great for competition and halftime. For about 30 minutes, the band separates into their sections and works with other band directors to prepare themselves for what’s about to go down. Assistant Band Director Dillion Davis does physical training, makes the band run one mile every day and works with them to march in time. Percussion Director Paul Stivitts pushes his percussion section to help them succeed. After hours of going back to the beginning of the show, the metronome blasting in everyone’s ear and section leaders yelling at their sections, the band is ready to perform the halftime show at the football games.

The football team works every day in third period and after school to push themselves to play well at the games. Head Football Coach Gerry Stanford pushes his boys past their limits and even more until he is satisfied with what he is seeing. Stanford treats his team like a family. He cares about every one of his players and wants them to succeed and to play hard.

“I think [the band] is awesome. They’re hyping our student section up, making games fun and just having a great time getting everybody warmed up,” Matteson said.

Every home game, Matteson sits in the student section with his twin brother, Worth. Both twins claim that band is a sport because of the competitions the band does every year. Both of the boys support their Tiger Band with everything they do. From competitions, to halftime performances, to even walking in the halls as individuals, the twins are the band’s number one supporter.

“Not only does the band practice nonstop, they also play a huge role in football games by hyping up the team along with the student section,” senior Worth Matteson said. “There’s no better feeling than a third-quarter tuba song swaying back and forth knowing we are about to win another game.”

As the season carries on, both band and football are one big family, despite their differences. Both sections are very talented and capable of doing things much more than others. The band will work hard to make it to state while football will work hard to make the season great.