Pride of ‘Betsy’ Land: Elizabethton High students perform halftime show at Neyland Stadium
Published 5:55 pm Monday, September 25, 2017
Star Photos/Curtis Carden
The Betsy Band’s checklist of accomplishments continues to grow.
Elizabethton High School’s award-winning marching band had the opportunity to make memories Saturday by performing inside Neyland Stadium during the University of Tennessee’s home football game against UMass. While a win was in the books for the Volunteers, over 95,000 in attendance had the chance to see the Betsy Band in action during a special halftime performance with the UT Pride of the Southland Marching Band and the Oak Ridge High School Band.
Carrying over the momentum from last year, the defending Division II state champions capped off the halftime show with a version of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” with the other two bands.
Prior to the start of Saturday’s game, Betsy Band members participated in a Vol Walk surrounded by thousands of Volunteer and UMass fans. In the crowd during the game, the band had the opportunity to share some tunes in the second half of the contest.
As much as the excitement filled the air, Betsy Band director Perry Elliott said the opportunity helped highlight the community of Elizabethton.
“Wherever we go, we want to make sure we do what we can to represent our community in a positive way,” Elliott recently told the Elizabethton Star. “The community has been so supportive of the band over the years. This is a great opportunity to showcase what Elizabethton has to offer. We have 150 students in the band, that is around 20 percent of our school. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and our kids are excited do what they can to represent the community.”
To celebrate the day, supporters of the band donned commemorative UT/Betsy Band T-shirts. Following the performance, and throughout the day, hundreds of Betsy Band supporters showed their support with supportive messages, along with videos and photos from the day. Hundreds even took to Facebook to show their support signaling they made it down for the game.
As the academic year continues, the Betsy Band will be hard at work performing at football games and band competitions. Community members still have opportunities to support the band in different ways, from attending competitions to donating to assist the program’s ability to provide scholarships.
For more information, visit the Betsy Band Facebook page online.
