by Landon Chambliss.

The Marching Wolves have always had traditions, ranging from traditional songs and dances to the uniforms they wear. However, one of their best-known traditions is known as the Super Six. The Super Six is composed of the six “funkiest and grooviest” members of the band who create a dance routine within a short period of time, perform during football games and parades, and are viewed by some as the highlight of the marching band season.

“I had always seen Super Six as an elite group within the band that I would love to be in,” first-year Super Six member, junior Nick Ashton, said. “I’ve even heard alumni say that they want their kids to be in the group when they reach high school age.”

So, where did this group come from? The Super Six was inspired by Southern University’s Human Jukebox’s Super Seven, the same band which former band director Roy Mouton based the Marching Wolves on. In fact, several dance moves from past editions of the Super Six were inspired by the Super Seven, such as the “Human Airplane.”

But how does the band decide who will be a part of this prestigious group? It starts even before the song selections for the halftime show are made. Interested members of the band choreograph their own dances within a week, and former members of the Super Six judge which ones are most interesting and are done the cleanest. The winners fill in the vacant spots left by seniors who graduated at the end of the prior school year.

“Basically, we told anyone interested to choose a song, create a 32-count dance, and perform it in front of the drum majors and the rest of the Super Six,” junior August Latapie said. “It was difficult to fill in the open spots, but we eventually came to a decision.”

This year, three spots were open, and freshman Seth Kramer, junior Nick Ashton, and senior Ethan Desforges joined the group along with previous members, sophomore Bradley Anzalone, junior August Latapie, and senior Patrick Fredrick. This year’s group first performed during the football game versus Covington High on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, and danced to Chris Brown’s “Five More Hours” as performed by the Marching Wolves. The performance was repeated during the halftime show at the game versus Pontchatoula on Oct. 16. Time permitting, the group will also perform at the football game versus Fontainebleau, on Nov. 6, and during Mardi Gras parades.

“My time in the Super Six this year was very thrilling and powerful,” Kramer said. “It was a little difficult for me, since I was only a freshman, but it turned out to be a great experience.”