Special to The Leader

Orange County high school marching bands will take part in the Ninth Annual All-Star High School Marching Band takes the field for the first home game Saturday, Sept. 12, with the Pride of McNeese Cowboy Marching Band.

McNeese State University will host 365 musicians from 43 high schools across Louisiana and Texas during the event.

The two bands will combine to perform an exciting halftime show at the McNeese vs. Incarnate Word football game at 6 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium.

The high school band students will arrive on campus Saturday afternoon for registration and for rehearsal of a halftime performance with the McNeese band. Following rehearsal and a dinner at the Band Hall, the combined Pride of McNeese Band and the All-Star Band will march through the Grove and tailgating area on their way to the stadium, performing for thousands of spirited Cowboy fans along the way.

Louisiana high schools represented include Barbe in Lake Charles, Basile, Bolton in Alexandria, Delcambre, DeQuincy, East Beauregard in DeRidder, H.L. Bourgeois in Gray, Iota, Iowa, Jennings, Kinder, LaGrange in Lake Charles, Lake Arthur, Loreauville, Many, Merryville, Northshore in Slidell, Pickering, Pineville, Port Allen, Rayne, Rosepine, Sam Houston in Moss Bluff, South Beauregard in Longville, St. Louis Catholic in Lake Charles, Sulphur, Vidalia, Vinton, Welsh and Westlake.

Texas high schools include Bridge City, Deweyville, Hull-Daisetta, Kountze, Liberty, Little Cypress-Mauriceville in Orange, Livingston, Mabank in Dallas, Orangefield, Port Neches-Groves, Silsbee, Warren and West Hardin of Saratoga.