Friday Night Lights — L.D. Bell Style
- Jeremy Earnhart
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 18
Growing up in the Northeast, I had no real concept of “Friday Night Football.” I knew it existed, but the sheer size, energy, and importance of it in Texas was something I couldn’t fully grasp until I lived it. It’s more than a game—it’s tradition, community pride, and an entire ecosystem of pageantry.
At L.D. Bell High School, home of the State and National Champion Blue Raider Band, Friday wasn’t just a school day—it was a 16-hour event day, for 10 weeks spanning August to November.
Morning: Rehearsal & Pep Rally
The day started at 7:00 AM with stadium rehearsal—polishing drill, refining music, and setting the tone. After rehearsal, students headed to second period before reporting back to the band hall in their show shirts for the weekly, school-wide pep rally. We’d enter the gym single file—orderly, but quick—using every second to run through wind fundamentals to the percussion’s “eight on a hand.” Inside a gym, the sound was electric, echoing off the walls as the student body filed in.
I’ll never forget one German exchange student who played saxophone telling me after a pep rally, “So much fabricated excitement! I don’t know who are these Blue Raiders, but they will win!”
Afternoon: Logistics and Traditions
After teaching beginner classes at the junior highs, the focus shifted to game prep: loading trucks, handling uniform issues, and checking grades for no-pass/no-play eligibility.
Tradition dictated that every student arrived in full uniform in public—no exceptions. Before departure, we’d center ourselves with breathing exercises, run daily drills, and hold inspection. I’d give a short speech about where we were in the season and the importance of the night ahead. Then, a silent walk to the buses—and no speaking until the school was out of sight.
Arrival: The Stands Come Alive
Upon arrival, the front ensemble unloaded, the battery found their spot, and the winds—metronome clicking—ran through our daily drill again. Then came my favorite part: running the entire scale, arpeggio, and technique section of Foundations for Superior Performance in Bb, then Eb.
Kickoff meant launching into the Spirit Show Sequence — short, high-energy stand tunes and snippets (“Louie Louie,” “Hey Song,” “Let’s Go Blue,” “Ice Ice Baby,” “Yeah” by Usher) with drum cadences in between, that kept the sound nearly continuous for the crowd. We played constantly—except when our team was on offense, which was unfortunately less time than we would’ve liked.
L.D. Bell "Spirit Show" — After the "Conest Show" and before the "Drill Team Tune"
Halftime: The Big Show
During the 3rd quarter, we’d slip away to prepare for halftime—running our daily drill for the fifth time that day. After moving to the end zone, we’d warm up with a concert F and then step off into our contest show.
After the contest show came one of my favorite crowd moments: playing the THX surround sound into the Spirit Show — simple, but the place went wild every time. Spirit Show segued into the Drill Team tune, hung around at field level to play the fight song for the team, and it was time to visit.
Traditionally, the kids had 3rd quarter off to visit parents and eat the obligatory stadium nachos with their oddly textured cheese sauce. Later, in response to complaints that the band “disappeared,” we sent out small roaming groups to keep music in the stands.
Fourth Quarter: All Fun
While the first half was focused on precision and performance, the fourth quarter was pure joy—dancing, playing, and performing at more extreme volume levels. We’d close with the alma mater (in C, despite my failed attempt to rescore it in Bb), and a final water break before leaving the stands.
After loading buses—still in silence—we returned to school to end what was often a 17-hour band day. Then it was off to Bennigan’s to meet up with fellow band directors from Richland and Haltom before heading home for some much-needed rest.
Friday Night Lights in Texas wasn’t just football—it was a weekly masterclass in discipline, tradition, and community. For the students, it was about representing something bigger than themselves. For me, it was about watching them grow, lead, and perform at the highest level — week after week, under the lights.
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