No strangers to accolades, over 100 Elizabethton High School students are about take part in an opportunity of a lifetime this weekend.
With an early departure ahead of them, the Betsy Band will be Knoxville bound Saturday morning to perform at Neyland Stadium with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band during the University of Tennessee’s nonconference tilt against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.
“The students have been working hard to master their skills,” said Perry Elliott, EHS band director. “It’s been an exciting time this week.”
The defending state Division II state champions aren’t exactly thrilled with one aspect of the trip, Elliott added with a chuckle. Betsy Band will depart from Elizabethton at 4 a.m. and will practice with the Pride of the Southland band before 8 a.m.
“It’ll be an early trip, but once we make it down, I think the excitement will outweigh any negative thoughts about waking up early,” Elliott added.
Saturday’s game will give Elizabethton a nit of national notoriety with kickoff set for noon on the SEC Network.
“Wherever we go, we want to make sure we do what we can to represent our community positively,” Elliot said. “The community has been so supportive of the band over the years. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase what Elizabethton has to offer. We have around 150 students in the band, which is about 20 percent of our school. It’s a once-in-a-life opportunity, and our kids are excited to do whatever is possible to represent the community in a positive way.”
During the busy day, the Band will perform with UT’s marching band at halftime, participate in the pregame Vol Walk and have an opportunity to take the field for their own performance.
Photos and a report from Saturday’s contest will be available in the Tuesday print edition of the Elizabethton Star.
To get involved with the Betsy Band or to sponsor a student, email betsybandboosters@gmail.com or visit the Betsy Band Fans Facebook page online.