Boardman band performs at Steelers game

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Neighbors | Submitted .The Boardman High School Marching Band performed a pre-game show for an NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders. The band traveled to Heinz Field Nov. 21.

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Neighbors | Submitted .Emily Bodamer (left), Matt Zook and Chris Hillman (right), members of the Boardman High School marching band, prepared for the big game. The band performed a pregame show at Heinz Field at the Nov. 21 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders.

The Boardman High School Spartans Marching Band, under the direction of Thomas M. Ruggieri, Timothy Tuite, Steven Chambers and Michael Shevock, performed a pregame show at the Nov. 21 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders.

Ruggieri thought it was time again for the Boardman Band to perform at some NFL games as it had done in the past. When he was a member of the band in the early 1980s, he performed for the Bengals, Browns and Steelers, as well as at a USFL game in Michigan. He made inquiries with the Browns and the Steelers two years ago, and was put on their waiting lists.

Ruggieri was surprised to hear from the Steelers first when he got the call a few weeks prior to the game.

“I thought a performance for Pittsburgh was out of the question because in my initial communications, I was told that the Spartans Marching Band (250 members at that time) was too big,” said Ruggieri. “They said the field performance was no problem, but there would be no place to seat a band our size when not performing.”

Ruggieri informed the Steelers that he could design a show using fewer students. Size was still an issue this season, so they contacted Ruggieri and asked if he could provide a drum line or small band to perform in November.

“I agreed to do that just so we could get a foot in the door,” said Ruggieri. “Throughout the planning, however, I was able to convince them that a full marching band would be much more entertaining for the crowd.”

The Steelers could only provide 70 seats, so Ruggieri suggested a compromise. Upperclassmen who wished to see the game could and the rest of the band would go to the Ross Mall Park.

“Although this was not the optimal solution, it seemed to work out very well,” said Ruggieri.

Ruggieri told the Steelers that many of his students would be excited about performing in Heinz Field than being able to watch the game.

“I also reminded them that we are from Ohio and have many Browns fans who would choose to do anything other than be forced to watch the Steelers,” said Ruggieri.

Two hundred of the current 265 members of the band performed and were well-received by the crowd and treated well by the Steelers.

Plans are already in the works to have the band perform at a game next season.