PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
ALUMNI, FAMILY, FRIENDS NIGHT … Several former Montpelier High School alumni and other family and friends performed during pre-game and halftime band shows on Friday, September 26, at Hobe Krouse Field. From the left: Dave Suffel (MHS Class of 1970), Macy Miller (MHS Class of 2025), Michelle Kannel, Andrea Cohn (Stryker Class of 2011), Shannon DeWulf (Stryker Class of 1990), Hannah Dean (MHS Class of 2020), and Kaitlyn Widmer (MHS Class of 2007 and current MHS choir teacher).
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
MONTPELIER – Montpelier’s High School band program celebrated “Alumni, Family and Friends Night,” which served as the theme for this year’s event on Friday, September 26, at Hobe Krouse Field.
“We’re doing ‘Alumni, Family and Friends’ this year, so it’s not all of just Montpelier graduates, but we also have some others from Bryan and Stryker,” said Montpelier band director Rachel Krueger. “So, it’s people from the community that can come back and play their instrument for a night.”
There were several former MHS alumni, along with several others who performed with the Montpelier marching band during pre-game and halftime shows.
“It’s the one night that they can dust off their instruments and try to see what they can remember from high school band,” said Krueger. “Hopefully, in the future, we can build it more so we can get people who are living outside of Ohio to come back and play with us.”
Krueger said the alumni band night has been a consistent thing over the years, and it’s been a tradition that has always been done at Montpelier.
“We alternate, for instance, alumni night one year and then the next year, we do a junior high night,” said Krueger. “We go back and forth with the format.”
Among the alumni who participated was Dave Suffel, who is a 1970 MHS graduate and performed with the band on his trumpet.
“This is my 101st performance on the football field,” said Suffel. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back to Montpelier. I used to play professionally and thought I could come over here and see what I can do to mess things up.”
The evening was highlighted by the playing of the MHS Alma Mater and the National Anthem during pre-game. At halftime, they participated in the “Show of Oldies” with the marching band.
The halftime show featured traditional songs from the past, including “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s, “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen, and “Celebrate” by Kool & The Gang.