DHS band members in state All Star Band

Members of the Daleville High School “Pride of the South” were among the 210 high school musicians in the first-ever Alabama All Star Band performing at the 2020 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Game.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association added the All Star Marching Band to the Alabama/ Mississippi All Star Classic for the very first time this year, said DHS Band Assistant Director Stephanie Robertson. “Students were selected from all over Alabama by application.”

Daleville High School students earning a seat in the band that played at the 2020 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Game at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery Dec. 12, 2020 were Erik Dasinger, Chase Horne, Austin Horne, Helena Deras and Brad Irwin.

Robertson said the students rehearsed for three hours at Marbury High School in Deatsville with their director of bands Brett Johnson. “We had a three-hour practice right before the game,” said Irwin. “Everyone was responsible for learning their own music before they got there so we just ran through the songs a couple of times before the actual performance."

Alabama defeated Mississippi 19-7 in the 34th All Star football game between the two states and the Daleville students called the game “intense at times.” The most exciting part of the game for Chase Horne was, “watching people argue over five seconds,” he said. “There was also a 95-yard interception run that was called back on a holding penalty.”

"I was really honored to be able to participate in this event,” said Austin Horne. “It was so exciting to get to watch the best players from Alabama and Mississippi brawl it out. I'm sure that I will get to watch many of the next year playing on the collegiate level."

Deras agreed. “We got to meet bandsmen from all over Alabama,” she said. “I definitely made new friends and I'm sure that I'll get to see them again next year.”

“The only challenge was memorizing the music on my own ahead of time without all of the other parts being played,” said Chase Horne. “We played ‘Dark Horse,’ ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ ‘Talking Out the Side of Your Neck,’ ‘Bang Bang,’ ‘Land of a Thousand Dances,’ ‘Smoke on the Water,’ ‘Hip Hop’ and a few others. My favorite was playing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ every time Alabama scored.”

“I am so proud of our students for being selected to perform in the first ever Alabama /Mississippi All Star Classic,” said DHS Band Director Mark Nichols. “We have always known that we have one of the best marching bands around so, it's only fitting that we would have several of our kids in the very first marching all star band. I just cannot wait to see what these kids do next.”