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Dakota Digest

Milbank High School Band and Football
Air Date: 11/16/2009

By Jenifer Jones

Watch any movie or T-V show about high school, and you might get the idea that there's a strict line between kids who participate in athletics, and those in fine arts. But in reality, that line isn't always so distinct. Case in point: Milbank High School. At half time of the 11-A high school state football championship last week, some of the football players traded their helmets for instruments and joined the band.

You could say that kids at Milbank high school wear a lot of different hats. For nine students, that hat is sometimes a football helmet, and other times one that belongs to a marching band uniform, complete with feather plume.
 
The band had several weeks notice it was performing at the Dakota Dome during the 11-A championship game. The football team had less notice. Susan Karels, band director, says eight of the nine football playing band students usually march at halftime, so the challenge was to figure out how they could be a part of both activities.

"We were pretty excited because we've been supporting the football team all season long," Karels says. "Then in the back of my mind, I'm like, oh no, I have eight players that are involved in both activities. But the guys have been great through the whole process."

Karels says the band enjoys supporting the football team, and the football team is glad to have them there.

"Throughout the whole season, the football coaches numerous times come in and said you know thanks for pepping up the crowd," Karels says. "I think it's helped that the season's been just great for Milbank this year, so it's been really a lot of fun."

Jeremy Tostenson, football coach, says he was excited both the band and football team were able to go to the dome. He says it wasn't too difficult to come to some sort of compromise.

"Well, you could say this, that my mother has been a long time band director herself, so I could never say no, to pull somebody out of the band, otherwise my mother would be after me. So it makes that decision pretty easy," Tostenson says.

One student who's glad that decision was easy is sophomore Seth Phillips. He plays football and the snare drum.

"I was pumped. I was really pumped actually, because, that so cool," Phillips says.
"That's a big advantage actually. I was so excited when I found out that the football team and the band was going to be there. I was like, this is a once in a lifetime experience, so enjoy it."

Sophomore Jordan Hins is also in football and band. He says there was cooperation between both activities all season.

"Both coach T. and Mrs. Karels really let me do what I need to do just to help out our teams," Hins says.

And you could say that the marching band is a team. Jeremy DeVaal is the head drum major for the band. He says everyone is important, including the football players.

"Them missing from the band, it just it sounds different," DeVaal says. "And at first we weren't sure whether they were going to be part of our field show or not, so that just worried me that we were going to have to rewrite the whole thing."

But he doesn't need to worry. At halftime, a group of parents stand ready take football helmets and give players their instruments.

The crowd's been cheering for the football players the whole game, and when the band members take the field, the stands go crazy for them too.

During one part of the halftime routine, the band members break it down and move to the beat. And if you've never seen a kid in a football uniform dancing while holding a giant sousaphone, you're missing out.

Band director Susan Karels says students are involved in many different activities because the enrollment in Milbank isn't what it used to be. Football playing band student Seth Phillips, who's also in choir, basketball, and track, says there's another reason kids are so involved.

"We have a lot of talent, and we have a lot of support and we love to compete," Phillips says. "At Milbank High School we're a very competitive school and we just love to go out there and try to prove that we're the best."

And at least this night, the Milbank students are. The Bulldogs won its game against Saint Thomas More, 34 to 20.

And for some, like football player and band member Jordan Hins, being able to do both activities made the win even sweeter.

"It was amazing, both the football team and the band did awesome," Hins says.

Some of the band members say that maybe they were the team's good luck charm on this trip to the dome. So there you have it, support your band, and you just might win a championship. Well, sometimes anyway.