College Football 2009

[Betsy]

http://www.huskerextra.com/articles/...682.txt?orss=1

Brian Rosenthal: For Lincoln Southeast band, it's a job well done

SAN DIEGO — They sat in the spot where Nebraska’s band was supposed to sit, wore red and played the appropriate fight songs at the appropriate time.

Consider it a job very well done by the Marching Knights of Lincoln Southeast High School.

You’ve probably heard by now that last week’s blizzard kept the Cornhusker Marching Band from making a 30-hour bus trip to San Diego. The Southeast band, which had already been planning to perform with other high school bands as part of the Holiday Bowl halftime show, subbed for the varsity.

Yeah, the pace was a tad bit slower, and the volume of 100 instruments isn’t what you’d hear from the volume of 300, but who cares?

Outstanding job, Marching Knights. You sounded great and represented the state well.

The band, led by director R.J. Metteer, received a loud ovation from the Nebraska fans as it was introduced during the pregame show as “representing the University of Nebraska.”

We then heard “March of the Cornhuskers,” followed by “Hail, Varsity!” Then band members filed into the corner of the lower stands, shed their Southeast band uniforms and showed off the red Nebraska T-shirts they’d been wearing underneath.

When Nebraska scored touchdowns — yes, plural! — we heard the full version of “Hail, Varsity!” something I haven’t heard after TDs in several years. (And, yes, they finished before the extra point, with time to spare).

And remember, these young men and women learned the Nebraska songs in only a matter of days.