PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Music is traveling far and wide in this town — not from one, but two schools.
What You Need To Know
- Pickerington North and Central head to playoffs Friday, but share a special football tradition that unites them both
- The marching band rivals are putting on the pregame show together; it will include their fight songs and the national anthem
- The pregame show begins at 6:50 p.m. Friday before things kickoff at 7 p.m.
Though Pickerington High School North and Central sit on the same side of town, the city is divided by a football rivalry.
But despite differences, both marching bands are performing the pregame show together.
"It's definitely different when we're two sister schools,” said Pickerington North Band President Jacob Patterson. “We come together. It's really beautiful. It's awesome."
The marching bands have played together during the pregame show every time the panthers and tigers made it to playoffs. They're performing their fight songs, "A Land of a Thousand Dances" and "We've Got the Beat" and the national anthem.
As the rival bands play together, there's no bad blood between them. In fact, everyone's friends.
"I'm always excited whenever we play north because I have friends over on the other side, and I get to see them," said Pickerington Central field commander Issysis Hill.
It's clearly not all about winning or losing to them, but that's not stopping the rivals from placing bets on Central’s and North’s football teams.
"I really believe my school will win. Pickerington Central will win," said Hill.
However, Patterson is rooting for Pickerington North. "I hope we win,” said Patterson. “I can feel it because I want that revenge from earlier in this season.”
Regardless of the outcome, one thing's for sure: music can bring a community together — even rivals from the same town.
North and Central's playoffs start Friday with the pregame at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff at 7 p.m.
Our central Ohio viewers can catch the action on Spectrum News 1, or on the Spectrum News App.