Jake Browning
reporter@thefranklinpress.com
The Franklin High School marching band will be spending New Year’s in New Orleans for a performance at the Sugar Bowl.
Getting into any collegiate football bowl is a massive task for a high school marching band, and the Sugar Bowl is considered one of the most prestigious bowls.
Applicants have to design routines for the halftime show, submit lists of accolades and video performances and basically prove that they’ve been extremely successful in their crafts for the past decade or more.
Ashlee Welch said the band’s marching show had to be completely revamped to match the event.
“Changing up the marching show for the parade lineup was very hard, but we like how it turned out,” Welch said. “It was difficult, but not impossible.”
To add pressure, there’s been talk in recent months of the NCAA eliminating high school bands from collegiate bowls entirely, so director Buddy Huckabee was extremely relieved that they managed to qualify when they did.
“It took 20 years to get this far,” Huckabee said. “It might have been our last chance if the expansion they’re discussing goes through, but I’m glad we made it. It’s the chance of a lifetime.”
Once the band was selected, attending the game wasn’t guaranteed. With about 100 students in the band and several more chaperones needed, the band had to raise $130,000 over the course of 17 months to afford transportation, lodging and a variety of other fees. Luckily for them, the community was thrilled to hear about their opportunity. Organizations like the Town of Franklin, the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and more chipped in to meet the band’s lofty goals. Parents and teachers were also engaged in fundraising, and many volunteered as chaperones to help their kids take advantage of the opportunity.
“We’re all super excited for them to have this cultural experience,” said Lisa Welch, a Franklin High teacher and parent chaperone. “Everything about this trip is going to be a new experience for them.”
The band will enjoy plenty of New Orleans culture outside of the game’s parade and halftime show. Many of the students look forward to sampling authentic Bourbon Street cuisine and practicing their jazz routines for a public audience. Thanks to the contributions of their donors, the band will even have enough money to visit the city’s World War II museum.
Band member Judge David Valentine says that the entire marching band is extremely grateful for the community support that’s made the trip possible for them. Above all, they’re thankful for Huckabee’s leadership and commitment to helping them succeed.
“When you really think about it, we wouldn’t have half of what we do if it weren’t for Huck,” Valentine said.
Huckabee appreciates the band members just as much and said that being their teacher has been the highlight of his time as an educator.
“Getting to go to a bowl this big and be a part of this band has made my whole career,” Huckabee said.
The Sugar Bowl will be televised on ESPN on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.