Randy Dickson: 'The band played on' during crucial stretch of CHS game

A football win against Navarre and a shot at the playoffs were on the line Friday night when Crestview got the ball on its own 5-yard line with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs were clinging to a 14-7 lead and had little margin for error as they tried to move from the shadow of their own goal line at the west end of Jack Foster Stadium.

It was crunch time and the team needed all the support it could get from the CHS faithful.

It was the kind of situation in which a band can help spark its team to victory while enhancing the atmosphere of the game.

Instead, loud snare drums and horns blared from Crestview’s Big Red Machine as a handful of students danced on the track in front of the stands while the Bulldogs tried to move the ball downfield. Those playing and dancing were oblivious to the shouts from CHS players and their motions to quiet down.

I don’t know if a Crestview motion penalty was a direct results of the band noise, but I do know the noise was a distraction to some of the players as they tried to focus on the task at hand.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they were able to overcome the penalty and hold onto the ball until punting on the final play of the game. They came away with the win, but things easily could have gone the other way.

If the possession had started on the east end of the field it wouldn’t have been so bad.

If it had been the Raiders with the football, it would have been a perfect distraction to keep Navarre out of sync.

That’s how a band can help their team.

Perhaps the problem is football coaches and band directors don’t communicate. Maybe if a coach told the band director in what situations the band can best help the football team some of these problems might be solved.

I’ll admit that as a former football player I tend to think, see and hear from a football player’s perspective. Halftime belongs to the band. The fourth quarter, especially with the game on the line, belongs to the team.

I close by offering a few tips on how the band can help the football team.

• Play and play loudly when the other team has the ball. This works especially well if the opposition is in your end of the field trying to score or get away from the end zone.

• Play the fight song, or some other peppy tune during timeouts to fire up the fans. Celebrate touchdowns full force.

• Respect your offense. That’s not to say  you shouldn’t cheer or play, but when the team is at the line of scrimmage tune it down so the players can hear the quarterback and coaches.

• Finally, watch the team. The players will let you know when they need extra volume or the volume turned down.

• Most of all enjoy the game and your part in the wonderful high school experience.

Want to respond to Randy’s thoughts? Post your own take at www.crestviewbulletin.com.