By Caitlin Conner
Staff Writer
Lawn chairs and coolers litter the indistinguishable sidelines. Large crowds of people gather behind the fieldhouse, cheering on their respective teams. Fans hold signs reading “Our director scares your director.”
Despite being scheduled during Thanksgiving break, there was a considerable turnout on Nov. 23 for the 13th annual band versus choir boys football game.
First played in 1997, the band versus choir game has been a little-known secret kept between the two organizations, which are engaged in a friendly rivalry. The official record is choir with 10 wins and band with 3, so the tradition has been kept alive for 13 years. The team captains of the band and choir teams usually decide the time of the game, although it usually takes place in the afternoon during Thanksgiving break.
“It saddens me that more of the school doesn’t really know about this grand tradition,” senior choir member Chris Scoular said. “It’s weird to think about the people that started this have now graduated college, gone on to big people jobs, started families.”
According to Park and junior coach Zack Korman, the band team had several practices prior to the game.
“We had people try different positions to see what they were good at,” Park said. “We probably met a good six times.”
Band typically has a large turnout for tryouts, which is not surprising considering the organizations 300-plus members.
“Where band normally has 30 people geared up and ready to play, choir is lucky to have 10,” Scoular said. “Every year, band can almost pass themselves off as a real football team with the number of people they bring. Choir always has trouble fielding enough people for 7 on 7, but that’s what makes it fun.”
In addition to small numbers, choir also lacks the organization the band team always seems to display.
“Usually choir practices a total of zero times and rushes to get things together the day before if we get the chance,” junior choir member Jess Trautman said.
Scoular agrees with Trautman that things usually get hectic in the days leading up to the game.
“Last year, choir didn’t have concrete positions until the game started,” Scoular said. “This year we had a couple of practices to see where everybody fit best and the result was a lot better.”
Despite their lack of practice before the game, however, choir made the quite a showing against band, coming with a win. There is no clock to time the quarters. Instead, the teams play to 5 and then break for half, and then play the secord half to 10. This year’s game ended early due to time constraints, 8-4.
Both choir and band members agree that their least favorite part about the game is the lack of protection and legitimate rules.
“It’s a lot more rough because we play with no pads and it is full-on tackle with hardly any rules to take place during the game,” Trautman said. “For instance, this year I went to tackle Austin Flores and he hopped just a little bit off of the ground and I flipped him. He landed on his head, giving him a concussion.”
Scoular agrees that the strange injuries he receives are his least favorite part.
“Last year, while catching a ball, I got my face slammed into the ground and got to sport a nice red gash on my cheek for a few months,” Scoular said. “This year I got my mom mad by chipping a couple teeth and knocking my permanent retainer loose. People think ‘oh, it’s just band and choir kids tackling each other, no one can get hurt’, but it’s actually pretty intense.”
No matter how many injuries are received, though, both teams believe the fun of the game is definitely worth it.
“It’s not very often that you get to have such a highly organized and highly competitive football game when you aren’t involved with the athletics program,” senior choir member Scott Bower said.
It’s Scoular’s love of the game that keeps him coming back each year.
“My favorite part is just playing,” Scoular said. “Whether it’s me getting crushed on offense or me being run over on defense, I love playing even though I’m not too good.”
