Marching band hits SoFi Stadium

On September 5th, the ERHS football team, drill team, cheer team, and marching band went to SoFi Stadium. While I am biased on account of being in the marching band, I will attempt to provide a general narrative which spans the whole event.

Photos by AJ Mercado

I first heard about the game in band class. We were barely able to attend, using one of drill's extra buses as well as one Ms. Silverman managed to claw from the school administration. Since it was on such short notice, there were multiple before-school practices throughout the week to prepare, and people had to come in during other classes to be fit for uniforms. Before long, the day had come. We piled into the buses and, after a very cramped two hours, arrived.

I had never been to a football stadium before. Even though I had some idea of what to expect, I was still blown away by SoFi. The stadium's 5 floors of seating loomed like mountains above me, and the shape of the building warped the cries of the some hundred people watching into the sonorous thunder of thousands. Walking through the endless bowels of the stadium, I saw massive storerooms filled with transport trucks. I had never thought about the monumental supply chains required to support a stadium. When we finally made it to the field I found my seat, unpacked my instrument, and prepared for the game.

The players were clearly excited as well. They emerged from the stadium to massive cheers, and adrenaline fueled the first half. This occasionally caused problems; both teams struggled with false starting, but once they got into the zone, they

played very well. Every touchdown was hard-fought, every play harshly contested. Bell scored the first points, but we fought back, managing to hold our lead until the end of the game. 

I slept most of the bus ride home. After getting up early, I had been awake for more than 18 hours. It had been well worth it for this once in a lifetime experience. Eagle Rock was granted our first win at SoFi in our history, along with our first win of the 2025 Season. I hope to see you at the next game of the season this Friday, as we celebrate homecoming. Let’s go Eagles!