It’s Friday night, the big game is here, and the lights are shining on the football field. The sound of whistles, cracking pads, and cheers fill the air. While the football players are putting on a show for the crowd, the real pride of Mount Vernon is warming up, the Marching Mustangs.

Dallas Olberding, a junior at MVHS, is the color guard captain in the marching band performance. He has been working towards this role for a long time. Olberding has been an important part of the color guard since he joined in 2018, his eighth grade year. Being involved with dance since the fourth grade has helped him tremendously. “Dance outside of color guard helps a lot to be more comfortable,” he said. “The movements just come more naturally.”

“Being the captain is a big responsibility,” Olberding said. “We have a lot of new members who didn’t get the full band experience last year.” The band was able to perform but they did not march, they all stood in a set formation to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19. This, however, did not stop the band from putting on an excellent halftime performance during football games. This year Olberding is a big part of teaching the younger dancers the routine and movements that go with the performance.

This year’s performance has had many challenges and growing pains to get through. Most of these challenges come from a large group of talented seniors leaving last year, and having a lot of younger less experienced people in the band. Even the experienced members of the band had to re-acclimate to marching, after not marching in two years. On top of that, the band director, Scott Weber, has been at home with Covid-19. This poses an even greater challenge to the group, whose first performance is quickly approaching.

The Band’s first performance  will be on Friday, September 17th, during the halftime show of the Mount Vernon vs Center Point Urbana football game. Olberding believes the band will be ready to put on a great show after the many hours of practice and preparation they’ve had.

After high school Olberding hopes to move to the east coast to go to college. He hopes to pursue a career in the performing arts.