The Marching Lions has given students plenty of things to be excited about with new performances, themes, and songs on Friday nights.  The new marching band theme, “Rise from the Ashes,” is based on how the community and the Marching Lions have come out of Covid stronger. “Rise from the Ashes” alludes to the myth of the phoenix, included in the performance.

  “The whole idea seemed appropriate for what the program and the community have experienced,” Band Director Daniel Sanchez said

, “Not that we have fallen into any ashy wasteland but we have dealt with adversity for the past several years.”

  The Marching Lions had their first competition on September 17th at Stuart Draft High School.

 “It’s a good opportunity at a low stakes level to see how we are performing but also how other bands are performing,” Sanchez said. “They also have good clinics with different professors and teachers that work with the band after the performance. We have the competitive aspect and the educational aspect on the same day.”

  Here at home games, a drum team will play in the student section. The band is also going to introduce “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X during football games to keep things relevant. The song “Industry Baby” will be recognized by most students and hype up students and get more people excited.

  “We are continuing with the crazy atmosphere on Friday nights in ‘The Jungle,’ which is awesome,” Sanchez said.

  The band also has a new drum major, Dakoda Miller, who conducts the marching band in the football stands and during performances on the football field. Miller has high hopes for how he can make a permanent impact on the marching band.

“My plans are to get the marching band more active in the school,” Miller said.

  For the past two years, the marching band rehearsed with social distancing guidelines in place. The marching band couldn’t hear each other while following Covid-19 regulations and rules at the same time. This is the first season since 2019 with no rules on how the band has to practice and perform.

   “It is different because we have a lot more time to work on our show and more help from the school and past alumni,” Miller said.

  Although Covid-19 has decreased the size of the band in past years, the quality of music has increased because a smaller core group has been found.

 “Last year, we posted the highest scores since I have been here and what I can gather from records, over the last ten years,” Sanchez said.

  Bouncing back from the struggles of recent years is what the theme represents.

  “This will be something that you guys will remember forever, the challenges and adversities are something that we can celebrate in this performance,” Sanchez said.