Published: October 24, 2006 11:14 am      

Students still celebrating Lewis Cass win

Tears flowed as students created unforgettable memories Saturday

By KEVIN LILLY

Pharos-Tribune staff writer

Memories of Saturday’s win will likely be as vivid in 20 years as they are now for the Lewis Cass students who accomplished what they set out to do.

In front of about 30,000 people in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, the Lewis Cass Marching Kings “left our best show on the field,” said junior drum major Lizz Comoglio.

The band, in the state competition for the 25th year in a row, had little margin for error, winning the title by seven-tenths of a point over runner-up Forest Park.

Several students talked Monday about their experiences and how the lessons they learned would remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Band president Alyssa Stewart said music had taught her dedication and responsibility.

Senior Whitney See, who plays alto sax, said the word “amazing” described the whole season, especially how the upperclassman convinced the freshman and sophomores to devote themselves to the effort.

Only 16 of the 100 band members are seniors. Their goal was to pass on leadership and standards before they depart, said trombone player and senior Ryan Kunkle.

“Winning state says something about the freshmen who never marched before this season,” said Kunkle. “They really had to work hard.”

It takes a whole band to succeed.

“You are only as strong as your weakest marcher,” said drum major Lizz Comoglio, a junior.

Zachary Funk, senior and trombone section leader, agreed.

“Marching is a team effort,” he said. “You cannot do well with one great marcher, like some sports.”

Before the state finals, 16 freshman practiced their marching techniques on their own time.

So, what sparked the drive to win?

A big motivator was when Lewis Cass band members heard they would not amount to much, especially after word got out that Lewis Cass had dropped from Class C to Class D for state.

“We are a stubborn group,” said Amber Artrip, a junior drum major. “We won state!”

Another motivator was the news that Band Director Mike Clark had fallen ill a month before the state competition. His hospitalization brought students together to pray, to cry and to work harder.

Comoglio said Clark had a special influence on the band, even before becoming sick.

“He is amazing,” Comoglio said. “He got sick and was still coming in. We told him to go home to get better, but the band is all he thought about. That shows that he truly loves the students and what he does.”

Along the way, Clark provided life lessons. He lives by the motto, “I only have one life to live, and I’m going to live it to the fullest.”

The students learned a work ethic that can be applied equally to other challenges, Funk said. “That work ethic does carry over” into the classroom by following through on assignments and with general attitude by staying true to one’s word.

“It is absolutely incredible what the students did,” Clark said. “It is such a young group of kids, and they have worked really, really hard.”

The season could have gone differently.

“We started the season off really shaky,” said Clark, who has been at Lewis Cass five years. “After the first competition, they decided they didn’t like the way things were going and they made a change. They stuck to it.”

As a tribute to their mentor, about 60 students conducted a driveway performance at 2 a.m. Sunday after winning.

“It was a chance for them to show some unity,” said Clark. “We try to stress life skills in our program. They did this on their own. They decided what they were going to do, got together and made it happen. For that many to be a part of that shows a lot of unity in the band, and that’s a good thing.”

So, what’s next?

“Clean the band room,” Clark said, “and in a week or so, we’ll start planning for next year’s marching routine.”

Kevin Lilly can be reached at 722-5000, Ext. 5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com