Student spirit leaders unveiled their own season of support cheering, dancing, twirling and performing in celebration of school and community spirit.
Cheerleaders, bands, dance teams, color guards, choirs and Junior ROTC color guards contributed time, talent and heart as another school year opened and with it the beginning of high school football.
All five of Killeen ISD’s high school football teams opened varsity seasons Thursday and Friday.
The results on the field were mixed in terms of the scores and statistics, but the purveyors of spirit showed and shared their enthusiasm without fail.
Friday at Leo Buckley Stadium was senior night for Shoemaker High School.
As always, the Greywolf Band and “Voci Della Luna” choir ensemble led the school song. The football team charged through a tunnel between lines of cheerleaders and Silver Star dance team members to the musical blast of the band and the cheers of the audience.
A Greywolf JROTC Battalion color guard presented the colors, and the choir led the National Anthem.
Following the first half of football, the Greywolf band and dance team took the field to showcase the start of a show called “In Pieces” that speaks of the strength of brokenness redeemed.
After the halftime performance, Shoemaker honored its seniors with students and family members stepping across the field as an announcer read out their names, school involvement and plans for the future.
Before and after the halftime show and recognitions, cheerleaders urged on the team and engaged the crowd and the band and dance team sang, danced and played in celebration and support.
All of that happened Thursday when the Killeen Kanagroos traveled to Liberty Hill for their football opener, with the Ellison Eagles playing on the road Friday in Copperas Cove, Harker Heights at Hutto and with the Chaparral Bobcats hosting Waco University at Searles Stadium across town.
Shoemaker cheer co-captains and seniors Erica Inguanzo and Aaliyah Sutton said the home-opening football game was a thrilling occasion and also bittersweet since it marked their “last first game” as Greywolf cheerleaders.
“It’s amazing. All the memories come together in this last first day. It feels amazing to be here. It’s going to be a really good day,” said Inguanzo.
“It feels good to have people watch and play a part in keeping the team spirited.”
“It doesn’t feel real in this moment. We work so hard from freshman year to get to this moment. Senior year came fast. It’s exciting to see what’s next,” said Sutton.
“Football season is really fun. Interacting with the crowd and the band, keeping everyone’s spirit up is a big part of our job. I really enjoy it,” she said.
“It’s also fun to see the support for us. We are not just supporting our team. We’re supporting the whole community.”
Following halftime, drum major Layla Llantade expressed the excitement of a Friday night leading the Greywolf Band.
“We’re still in the early days, but there has been a lot of development,” she said of the show. “It’s amazing to watch the show visually and to experience it musically. There are so many moving pieces and together it makes a whole.”
“It’s amazing seeing the spirit in the community with everyone. It’s a fun, wonderful environment to be in.”
Like fall athletes, spirit group members return to school early, beginning in the middle of July to prepare for performances during sporting events and also for their own competitions and performances at various times of the year.
The marching bands took part in a preview exhibition a week ago during a US Army Experience that included a showcase at Hood Stadium on post.
The pace only intensifies in coming weeks.
Harker Heights High School’s Red Brigade Band is hosting its second annual Drums in the Heartland competition Saturday, September 12 at Joseph Searles Stadium with an 11 a.m. start.
The following week, Saturday, September 19 is the 48th annual Spirit Spectacular beginning at 6 p.m. at Leo Buckley Stadium.
That event, sponsored by the Ellison Screaming Eagles Band, includes performances from the five KISD high school marching bands and a culminating finale with those bands and the district’s 10 middle school bands.
The high school bands compete in UIL Region Marching Contest Saturday, October 17 at the Midway ISD stadium.
Check out game and spirit photos from Friday night and many other start-of-school events at www.killeenisd.org/photos