As the drumline gets in formation and starts the walk down to the student section, it gets loud. It’s the third quarter, halftime just ended, and fans wait for the drumline to captivate their attention again.

“It’s kinda an unspoken rule that you don’t leave the game until you see the drumline in the student section,” junior Kaela Stevens said. “It gets pretty hype.”

Every home game, the student section dances to the drumline’s songs. When the game no longer holds the attention of the young fans, the drumline can bring back the energy. 

“I remember the first game we had, the student section was chanting, ‘We want drumline,’” sophomore Zach Niles said. “It was cool knowing that they liked seeing us.”

This is Niles’ second year on the drumline, but it has been a tradition for the squad to come in the student section since long before he came along.

For the rest of the game, the drumline stands with the rest of the band while it does its choreographed dances in the bleachers. In the drumline, there are three different types of drums.

“There’s tenor drum, which I think is the coolest, then there’s snare, the one I play, and then there’s bass.” Niles said.

Niles hopes to play tenor next year. 

Most students attend home football games at least once a year, so the drumline strives to make them enjoyable.

“Home football games are the highlight of my week,” Stevens said. “They’re usually the only thing that gets me through classes.”

Supporting every student and the path they’ve decided to take ensures everyone at the school feels needed and seen. 

“It’s really cool that everyone loves seeing us,” Niles said. “It just makes us feel important.”