At least one Tide got to roll Thursday in New Orleans.
Last week’s Sugar Bowl wasn’t a good time to be a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide, as they lost to Oklahoma. But for Long County High School Blue Tide Marching Band members, the night couldn’t have been much better as they performed during the game’s halftime show.  
Joining the Oklahoma Marching Band and several other high schools, the Long County band performed for more than 70,000 fans during halftime at the game. Tide band director Terry Kenny said that night was exciting and that the local students made everyone back home proud. He also said that the entire body of high school and college students did an outstanding job for only having a short time to practice together.
“It was an amazing performance. To see over 1,600 students come together in a two day period to do such an outstanding job, it was just amazing,” he said.
Kenny said that the band also achieved something during the trip that no other group had ever accomplished in the school’s history — a national title.
According to Kenny this was the first national event that the band had competed in, and on Thursday, it took home the top prize in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Field Show. He said that hundreds of bands from across the nation attempted to make the cut to perform at the game, but that Long County was one of only 16 bands selected.
Kenny said that the trip was a great success, but it was only made possible from people and organizations in the community helping.
“In my 42 years as a teacher, this community’s support has been the most outstanding that I have ever experienced,” Kenny said. “The success of this trip was only possible with their help, and a big thank-you goes out to everyone.”
Seventy-nine students from Long County made the trip and according to Kenny, for just about everyone it was their first visit to New Orleans.
He said that in addition to performing at the Sugar Bowl, the band visited the French Market and French Quarter.