Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sad and Fun end to the football season

Well, last night the Interboro Bucs played the Ridley Raiders in a PIAA playoff game in front of 8,000+ people! I knew going in and tried to tell Katie that Ridley was a very good team. The band as usual tries to get everyone into high spirits and get the crowd rowdy. The first quarter was going well, fairly evenly matched. The beginning of the second quarter the Bucs got all of the way to the Raiders 3 yard line after moving the ball down the field. The crowd was in a frenzy, we all just knew that the Bucs were going to score the first touchdown of the night. It was not to be. The very next play the ball was fumbled and recovered by the Raiders. From that point on it was almost like all of the Buc Spirit and Buc Pride that resides in all of us sitting in the stands: parents, students, teachers and of course band members, was just sucked out of us. The rest of the game was just ugly to watch. At half time our Marching Buccaneers performed their half time show and did a great job as usual. The third quarter is the bands break time. As the Raiders scored one answered touchdown after another. The band kids were chomping at the bit to do a song they call "The Happy Squirrel" aka Get the Beat Down. The drum line and some of the brass play the beat and the rest of the band, the color guard and the cheerleaders participate in a rowdy and oh so fun contest of shouting and dancing and stomping of their feet. It is a real crowd pleaser. The band director said no maybe because the football team and the crowd in general had turned in a very somber bunch or another unknown reason. As the fourth quarter started the stands were quickly emptying of fans, sent home early by the dismal outcome of the game and the just plain freezing cold temperatures! The band gamely played a few of their stock songs as the score of the game reached 34 to 0. It was just sad. Finally I am not sure how it happened but with just a few minutes left I saw Steven Tambin, aka Jack Sparrow in our performance and trombone player, make his way to the front to the stands. Steve is our leader of the Happy Squirrel. Then the drum line started in and the Happy Squirrel Dance began!!! Finally the Bucs fans came alive again! And low and behold the BUCS made a touchdown in the last few minutes of the game. We knew they would not ever be able to win the game but just not being totally shut out was a small victory. Was it the rowdy beat the band and cheerleaders performing the Happy Squirrel or did the players just muster enough strength at the end to prove that while the Bucs football team might be down and done for this season but they still have that Buc Pride and Spirit in them! Or maybe just maybe the soaring beat of the Happy Squirrel was just enough to give Hallahan and Broomall that last surge at the end!! I'd like to think it was the band!! Final score 34 to 6.

So football season has come to an end. I must say I had an incredible time. Katie absolutely loved it too. Not one complaint about giving up every Friday night for the last 2 1/2 months and all of the hours practicing. The heat, the rain and now the cold. None of that dampened the Buc Pride that resides in the band. Some say that they are "band geeks" but those of us that hang with the band know that they are really the heart of the school. They are the true definiton BUC PRIDE and BUC SPIRIT!

Next on the band's agenda is the Media Veteran's Day parade. They are marching on Monday 11/12. Katie is happy that she is being pulled form school at 9 am and they won't be back before school is done for the day. Then onto to Atlanta and Disney World in February!

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