The American flag on the northside of Gretna High School’s football field is not the only flag that gets waved during a Friday night football game. The color guard is also there with their flags along with the marching band. During the national anthem, they stand proudly holding their flags, and during halftime, they and the band performed their show, “Gusto Italiano,” in their sparkly bright red outfits.
On Friday nights this past fall, they did not allow the entertainment to stop. The energy of the band radiated from the field and it is carried with them for a long day of competition to follow.
Unfortunately, at the Bands of America competition on Sept. 28 in Des Moines, the group had a difficult day performing and did not make it to finals. Although, they did enjoy what other bands and guards did and gained more knowledge about the competition.
“That competition was more for the experience, not necessarily for performing but watching,” freshman Chloe Germer said.
Not every competition they competed in ended with a winning title, but the following Saturday it did. On Oct. 5, the Dragons competed in Bellevue and placed first in 4A, but this was not the only accomplishment. It was the Dragons first competition against Gretna East High School. When the new Gretna school opened a year and a half ago, the rivalry between the Gretna schools started and continues to get stronger. So, when the color guard beat their biggest competition they were thrilled.
“Overall we beat the Gretna East band by 0.4 points, which is really close, but we beat them, and it was a very exciting moment for us,” junior Kyler Wolff said.
This excitement converted to motivation and helped carry the team through many of the unseen struggles of the color guard.
“You’re going to hit yourself and drop it. You have to commit, and, once you get over that fear, it’s really easy,” Germer said.
Throwing a flag may not seem like rocket science, but the hours they spend training proves it is harder than they make it look. The pressure of not catching it or doing the wrong movement is constantly weighing on their shoulders.
To finish off the season, the band ended with a bang on Oct. 26. The team placed first in the 3A championship at Nebraska Bandmasters at Millard South High School. Gretna also took fourth place overall. Winning a state championship is a positive aspect for the color guard, but for junior Kelsey Noonan, just being there is a blessing in itself.
“It’s very fun and we just get to smile the whole time and interact with each other,” Noonan said.
