The Saint Paul’s Marching Wolves stole the show on a busy October night, excelling in three performances, two of which came against rival Covington High School.

Before the much anticipated football game between Saint Paul’s and Covington High School, the Saint Paul’s Marching Wolves soundly defeated Covington High School’s band in the annual “Battle of the Bands” competition. Afterward, the two bands joined forces to perform a special pre-game show for all veterans by playing the National Anthem and the Armed Forces Salute together. Finally, the Marching Wolves debuted “The Super Six” for the 2022-23 school year at halftime of Covington High School’s Senior Night. There, the Marching Wolves performed many of their traditional songs, such as “Basin Street Blues” and “Rise Up O Men of God.”

Highlights from the Marching Wolves’ performances at Covington High School are covered below. 

Battle of the Bands

The long-spanned rivalry with Covington High School peaked when the Marching Wolves took on the Lions’ band in an unforgettable “Battle of the Bands.”

The epic battle began with Saint Paul’s playing “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. This was followed by Covington playing “Word Up” by Cameo. Both performances impressed hundreds in the crowd.

After the opening numbers, the two drumlines came to the front of both bands and had an intense battle that can best be described by Saint Paul’s senior drumline member, Daren Delaune: “Although Covington put up a decent fight by playing most of our cadences, no one is a match for our drumline. We refuted the rhythms back at them, intimidated them, conquered them, and left victorious.”

The “Battle of the Bands” consisted of three rounds. In each round, both bands played two songs and two drum cadences. Ultimately, both bands and the 500+ attendees experienced a spirited and amusing performance. However, in the end, the Saint Paul’s Marching Wolves were able to tame the Covington High Lions, winning this year’s “Battle of the Bands.”

National Anthem Combo

Saint Paul’s has transitioned to playing a new version of the National Anthem over the past two years. This version adds a short introductory fanfare before the anthem. The Marching Wolves chose to lengthen the anthem because both Saint Paul’s and Covington play this exact version, and now the two rivals band together to play it in unison.

Before the annual football game between Saint Paul’s and Covington High, it’s customary for the home team’s band to play the National Anthem on its field. However, this tradition was broken last year when Covington joined Saint Paul’s on its field to play the anthem together, establishing a new practice, which was carried out again this year. Ultimately, combining the bands represents a united front for the crowd.

Super Six and Halftime

Finally, the Marching Wolves debuted this year’s version of “The Super Six” at halftime. “The Super Six” is a Marching Wolves tradition that began in the early 1990s. The mission is for six talented band members to entertain the audience in ways that go beyond sound. Not only does “The Super Six” exceed this expectation every time they take the field, but they find new ways to open the eyes of those in the crowd through dance.

This year, “The Super Six” danced to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling.” As usual, the Marching Wolves’ dance moves caused an explosion of laughter and excitement the moment they took the field.

The Marching Wolves and “The Super Six” halftime performance pleased the crowd enough to top Covington High’s band during its Senior Night. However, both bands engaged the crowd and brought a lot of energy to the game.

This reminds us how although the two bands may be rivals, they are united through music and school spirit.