As the Hornet Stadium lights flooded the field, the light reflected off the hot pink poms held by Flour Bluff High School’s Stingline drill team during the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month football game Oct. 23.
In Texas, drill teams are an integral part of high school and homecoming culture. A Texas drill team involves kicks, military-inspired officer titles, boots and structure. The style was founded at Kilgore College in 1940 by Gussie Nell Davis and has spread across the state over the years so that a Texas high school football game isn’t complete unless a drill team takes the field.
Stingline is currently led by Head Coach Sally Weischwill and Assistant Coach Kennidi Hughes. The team follows a traditional drill team officer titling structure involving a Colonel, 1st Major, 2nd Major, Captain and Lieutenant, along with two social officers.
“My expectations are that dancers will do their best and will build friendships and memories that will last a lifetime,” said Wieschwill.
Modeled after the Kilgore Rangerettes, drill team uniforms typically include a western style outfit with a skirt, cowboy hat, and boots. Stingline also has this uniform, referred to as their “mains,” but often choose to wear their “silvers” for uniformity purposes.
Drill teams incorporate multiple styles and elements in their routines, including hip-hop, jazz, and contemporary dance, along with pom routines and kick routines. For the Oct. 23 game, the Stingline’s routine was a traditional straight-kick kickline routine with no poms and minimal formations, aside from the kickline itself.
Some drill team members come in with years of experience in dance from local dance studios like Corpus Christi Ballet or Just for Kix. But no prior experience is needed and many of the drill team members had no experience outside of Stingline yet continue to hold their own and maintain their roles through practice and hard work.
“Making the team for the first time made me feel incredibly happy and grateful. I started as a beginner dancer, and looking back at how much I’ve grown makes the experience even more meaningful,” said Kendra Reyes-Ortiz
Team members attend practice every day both during and after school, along with booster club events and weekly games during football season.
“Being a part of Stingline while balancing a job and work schedule from Friday through Sunday definitely requires a lot of time management,” said social officer Lunamaria Mooney. “My weekdays are structured around school and our team after school practices. My busy routine has definitely taught me how to prioritize my commitments and stay organized.”
Although football season ends in December, the drill team has a spring schedule as well. They attend basketball games and have a Spring Showcase at the end of the year, involving months of preparation. This is the moment the team members can showcase their skills in choreography and other dance styles. Members can sign up for duets and trios that they choreograph themselves, while seniors and officers perform solos they choreographed and dedicated to someone or something.
“Being on the team has impacted my life in so many positive ways,” said Reyes-Ortiz. “It has taught me how to work with others, try new things, and become more open to meeting people. I feel like I’ve grown socially and built connections with people I might not have gotten to know otherwise. It’s helped me become more confident and appreciate the people I get to share these experiences with.”
