Published: November 06, 2009 04:03 pm      

Avon band member selected to play at bowl game

AVON — Members of the Avon Marching Black and Gold and relatives braved chilly temperatures to honor one of their own Tuesday evening following band practice.

Jordan Aders is one of only 97 high school seniors nationwide selected to perform at halftime of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 9 in San Antonio. His participation was formally announced during a presentation on the Avon High School track.

The All-American Bowl, which features the top 90 high school football players in the country and is broadcast live on NBC, has served as a launching pad for many future college and National Football League stars. Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, and Tim Tebow are just some of its alumni.

The bowl is “a unique celebration of American youth and the American soldier,” said James Pallitto, a 2010 selection tour representative for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. “It recognizes the mental, emotional, and physical strengths necessary to succeed as an athlete, musician, or soldier.”

And marching band, said Army Capt. Douglas Rapp of IUPUI’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, shares many traits with the Army. Both embody core values such as loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and teamwork.

“Jordan embodies many characteristics of an Army Strong soldier, and we are proud to have him on our team,” Rapp said.

Aders is one of only two Indiana students selected to perform at the game. The other is Jordon Schell from Ben Davis High School.

“To be chosen as just one of 97 people is a great honor,” Aders said. “(Avon Band Director Jay) Webb recommended me, and I can’t thank him enough for that, and my parents for encouraging me to get better as I go along.”

Webb noted that many alumni of the Avon Marching Black and Gold have gone on to serve in the armed forces. One year they almost lost their whole tuba line to service in Iraq. Recently a former band member sent the school an American flag that flew over Iraq during the anniversary of 9/11. It’s now on display in the Avon High School band room.

“It’s a unique honor for us to find ways as Americans to honor the armed services and all the things they provide for us,” Webb said. “So when I got this opportunity to recommend one of our students, I was very honored to do it. I’m very proud of Jordan, but he’s just representing all of you. It’s the small things we can do to honor our country and the people who serve it.”

The selection comes at a high-water mark for the Avon band program. They just took first-place honors Oct. 31 in Class A of the Indiana State School Music Association State Marching Band Finals. It’s their eighth championship in the last nine years (the first two coming in Class B). The Marching Black and Gold next competes in the Bands of America Grand National Championships Nov. 11-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Gary Wishmeyer of the National Association for Music Education and the Indiana Music Educators Association watched Avon perform at the ISSMA finals.

“After the opener I turned to the five other band directors sitting with me and said, ‘That’s it. Give them the trophy. They’ve won,’” he said. “If you get it from the ballade to the closer as tight and hot as that opener was, the eagle will land in Avon again in two weeks.”

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Online:

www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com



wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com