This past week, the long-awaited rivalry football game between Downey and “The other school” occurred this past Friday, October 24th, at the Dignity Health Park stadium. Fans cheered in the stands, roaring with excitement as the game began. With a winning score of 0-50, it’s safe to say the football team did its part. But what of the marching band? Mr. Guerrero, the Downey High School marching band director, and student leadership members, Field drum major, Ethan Hart, Parade drum major, Katia Maldonado, Brass Captain, Melanie Gonzalez, and Woodwind Captain, Ruben Jimenez, provide their personal insight on the preparation process for the halftime show and thoughts on the DHS vs WHS week leading up to the game.
The marching band program has over 120 including the color guard and drumline. Mr. Guerrero expressed his excitement for the student being allowed to be able perform at a professional sports venue, stating, “ this is going to be the second time that our students have been afforded this, for our juniors and seniors this is going to be a remarkable and memorable experience and their second time but for the freshmen and sophomores it’s going to be the first time they get to experience a massive pro sports venue and that’s exciting to see”. Furthermore,
he expresses his own personal thoughts on all the festivities that occur throughout the week, especially Warren Wimp Day and the band walk through the district. He conveys his fascination for Warren Wimp Day specifically because of the amazing collaboration between students from both schools. He says, “The level of collaboration and cooperation between students at both schools is pretty amazing, to switch costumes, uniforms, and polos, and get them back in time. That’s always been fascinating to me and just the enthusiasm that gets put into that.” Additionally, the walk to the direct is one of the only chances the band gets to perform for district office superintendents and higher-ups, and it’s a great experience for the students to see the district office staff supporting them. The preparation process Downey vs Warren game for according to Mr. Guerrero, is similar to any other week, besides the need to coordinate and collaborate with the venue for transportation. As for the plans regarding the halftime show, Downey and Warren collaborate to perform Finesse by Bruno Mars, a crowd favorite.
Field drum major Ethan Hart and Parade drum major Katia Maldonado as both members of the student leadership and band in their final year of high school, give their thoughts on the game, spirit week, and the band activities. Maldonado comments that one of the most exciting aspects of this year’s rivalry game is the chance to perform at Dignity Health Stadium, stating, “We’re not at home, we’re somewhere new, and I feel like it’s going to be a fun experience.” Adding on, she notes the energy during spirit week and the game itself is always a highlight, with the enthusiasm from everyone involved, it’s something she looks forward to each year. Similarly, Hart states his own excitement builds every year for the Downey vs. Warren rivalry game, and this year for the halftime event. Lastly, stating how he looks forward to the spirit week, enjoying the “ hella creative ways” everyone expresses their school pride.
Finally, Brass Captain Melanie Gonzalez and Woodwind Captain Ruben Jimenez provide their additional thoughts regarding the Downey v Warren week and game as seniors and members of the student leadership and band. Gonzalez reveals how excited she is to see the stadium because she’d never been and to see the crowd, stating, “…because I know Sofi, we had like 14000
people. And you know it’s going to be cool to see how many people we have this year!” She explains fond memories of the first professional stadium performance back in 2023 at the SoFi Stadium, saying, “ I loved SoFi and the screaming fans. Plus, going through the huge stadium…it was really cool.” Likewise, Jimenez adds that he was looking forward to and excited about meeting and being able to interact with the Warren band. Correspondingly, he also expressed fond memories of the last few rivalry games, and “just remembering the hype” is a major factor
in his excitement.
in his excitement.
Ultimately, the Downey v Warren game is not just a rivalry but a way for students to express their school spirit and interact with ” the other school” to collaborate and make the week
memorable for everyone. The Downey High School marching band will always be a huge part of the yearly tradition for years to come, adding to the fun and excitement to create long-lasting
memories.
