As the band marches on to the field, senior Abelardo Flores rushes to take off his football jersey and get his instrument.

“I’m not simply a football player or just a musician,” Flores said. “I represent both.”

Flores plays for the Varsity football team and marches with the band during halftime.

“I feel really out of place, “ Flores said. “I’ve marched with a uniform (on) during my freshmen, sophomore and junior years.”

He splits his time between both activities.

“The challenging part of balancing the activities is simply trying to find the time and having the energy to keep going through the practices,” Flores said.

Band Director Paul Heuer said he doesn’t mind that Flores, along with senior Ayman Abdullah–Smoot, plays football and marches.

“It is great to have the boys doing both activities,” Heuer said. “They are great examples to the other kids.”

Even though the white football pads stand out compared to the band’s black uniforms, Heuer said they don’t mind.

“We do not mind them wearing their football gear to the games,” he said. “We like the crowd to see two kids that can do it all.”

Despite the conflicting practice times, Flores said he has never considered quitting band.

“The people who have the most impact in my life are in band,” he said.

Now that he’s on Varsity, Flores isn’t in the bleachers with the rest of the band during the game.

“It’s great playing football,” he said. “Some of the best times of my high school years (were) being in the stands with my band family.”

Flores said he loves the feeling of being able to march and play football on Friday nights.

“The feeling of being able to play and march under the Friday night lights is the most amazing feeling,” he said. “It might be tiring playing football and marching nonstop, but I do this to show people that I love what I do and to motivate people to do what they love.”