Returning to the stands this basketball season, the pep band will be playing at a select few home games, tentatively starting at the Jan. 18 girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball game from 6:30- 8:30 p.m. at the field house. 

The pep band for the games is typically smaller than the band used for football games, and they are there to help support our schools’ athletic teams. 

“The pep band is a group of students Mr. Detwiler organizes, and basically we just go to specific basketball games. This year we play five games in total, and we just play music for the basketball teams like we would the football team,” junior Mykenzi Doran said. 

This year is Doran’s first year playing in the pep band, and she hopes that it will be just as fun as  football season.

“This is my first year being in pep band so I haven’t experienced anything yet, but I know from football season generally my favorite thing is playing for the crowd and seeing the crowd’s reaction from the things we play. So I’m assuming I’m gonna get the same from basketball,” Doran said. 

Alongside Doran, senior Lukas Caracciolo looks forward to this season as well. He looks back on previous years before the pandemic started. Caracciolo was also a part of the pep band in his sophomore year.  

”It was a lot of fun, it was fun to do it with my friends next to me. It also made the games more fun and it added a little more energy to the basketball game. The crowd was more into it, and the players always felt the support of their fellow classmates behind them in the stands,” Caracciolo said. 

The purpose of having a pep band in the basketball games is to bring support for the team, as well as help make the crowd excited. 

“We are there to keep the energy up and to help the team remain energetic and positive, no matter the score. We’re also there to support them and cheer them on as their fellow classmates as well,” Caracciolo said.