Melrose High School Marching Band

Memphis Football: Whitehaven at Melrose in the Mound

Bands, entertainment, events, Football, marching bands, music, Sports, videos

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Despite Memphis’ well-deserved basketball reputation, Memphis is also traditionally a strong football town, particularly at the prep level. People turn out to see both the ball game, and also the battle between the bands and drumlins as well, and certain stadiums are historic locations for Memphis Black high school football, such as Booker T. Washington Stadium in South Memphis or Melrose Stadium in the center of Orange Mound. On Friday, September 19, 2014, I went out to the latter stadium to see the game between Whitehaven High School and the Melrose High School Golden Wildcats. Both schools brought their marching bands to the game, which isn’t always the case in Memphis these days, but Melrose seems to have declined in numbers in recent years, and its band, though it sounded good, was far smaller than I remembered in the past. Whitehaven, on the other hand, is one of the city’s premier high schools, academically, athletically and musically. Its band marches more than 100 members, and looks and sounds better than many colleges. The football game was a runaway for Whitehaven, but the band battle was more evenly matched, although I would have to give Whitehaven the advantage there too. Both bands pleased the crowd by playing a number of current hits, including Memphian Snootie Wild’s “Yayo”.

Enjoying the Southern Heritage Classic Parade in Orange Mound

Bands, Drill Teams, drumlines, Drummers, Drums, entertainment, events, Majorettes, music, Parades

437 SHC438 SHC439 SHC441 SHC442 SHC443 SHC444 SHC445 SHC446 SHC447 SHC448 SHC449 SHC450 SHC451 SHC452 SHC453 SHC454 SHC455 SHC457 SHC458 SHC459 SHC460 SHC461 SHC463 University City HS Band465 University City HS Band467 SHC468 SHC469 SHC470 SHC471 Millennium Madness Drumline472 Millennium Madness Drumline473 Millennium Madness Drumline474 Millennium Madness Drumline475 Millennium Madness Drumline476 Millennium Madness Drumline477 Millennium Madness Drumline478 SHC479 SHC480 SHC481 Die Hard Cowboys482 Die Hard Cowboys483 Die Hard Cowboys484 SHC485 SHC487 SHC488 Mid-South Steelers489 Mid-South Steelers490 SHC491 SHC492 SHC494 SHC495 SHC496 SHC497 SHC498 SHC500 Southern Belles501 Ford Road Elementary Drumline503 Ford Road Elementary Drumline504 Cowborettes505 Cowborettes506 Old School Bikers507 Old School Bikers508 Old School Bikers509 SHC510 SHC511 I Am North Memphis515 Orange Mound Raiders516 Welcome to the Jungle517 Star Steppers519 SHC521 SHC523 Melrose Alumni524 Melrose High School Band525 The Sound Of The Mound526 The Orange Mound Jukebox527 Melrose HS Band528 Melrose HS Band529 SHC530 SHC531 SHC532 Melrose HS Band533 SHC534 Melrose HS Band535 SHC536 SHC537 Melrose HS Band538 Melrose HS Band539 Melrose HS Drumline540 Melrose HS Drumline542 Melrose HS Drumline541 Melrose HS Drumline543 Melrose HS Band544 Melrose HS Band546 Melrose HS Band545 Melrose HS Band549 Melrose HS Band548 Melrose HS Band550 Melrose HS Band551 Melrose HS Band552 SHC553 SHC554 SHC555 SHC556 SHC557 SHC558 SHC559 SHC560 SHC561 SHC562 SHC563 SHC564 SHC565 SHC566 SHC567 Melrose HS Drumline568 Melrose HS Band569 Melrose HS Band570 SHC571 SHC572 Melrose HS Band573 SHC574 SHC575 SHC576 SHC577 SHC578 SHC579 SHC580 SHC581 SHC582 SHC583 SHC584 "Take Our Picture"585 Aftermath586 Aftermath587 SHC588 Melrose Golden Wildcats
The annual Southern Heritage Classic is far more than a football game. Each year, on the Saturday morning of the game at 9 AM, the Southern Heritage Classic Parade begins from the corner of Park Avenue and Haynes Street, and proceeds along Park through Orange Mound to the Lamar-Airways Shopping Center. The parade usually includes the Jackson State University and Tennessee State University bands, along with majorettes, drill teams,drumlines, Cowboys and Steelers fan clubs, car clubs and many others. There used to be more marching bands in the parade as well, but for the last few years, the parade has conflicted with the Southern Heritage Classic Battle of the Bands in Whitehaven, so there have been fewer bands recently, but the hometown favorites, the Melrose High School Sound of the Mound Marching Band always closes out the parade. It’s always a lot of fun, family and food.