Lowndes High School has plenty to be proud of when it comes to their football program. In its storied history, the team has won five state titles (1980, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007), they have been crowned region champion ten times, and have completed undefeated seasons on multiple occasions. However, the talent of Lowndes High extends well beyond the football team. Before the games, the blaring sounds of the marching band fill the air. During halftime, thousands of fans are treated to a group of hundreds of musicians, cheerleaders, and dancers as they thrill the crowd with their unmatched artistic abilities. But, most importantly, win or lose, the marching leaves the Concrete Palace with their heads held high, proud of the fight that their companions put forth on the field. The Lowndes Vikings are a force to be reckoned with. But they wouldn’t be the same without the Georgia Bridgemen. In this issue of In the Game, we spotlight three of the members of the legendary program to see just what it takes to be a member of the Bridgemen, and what takes place on a typical game day.
Mason McGeehan
Class: Senior
Instrument: Baritone
Mason McGeehan is in his final season of high school marching, and he has been rewarded for his hard work by being selected as a section leader for the group of 45 baritones marching this fall. This only adds to his list of accolades; this will be his second year as a section leader, with his first coming as a junior.
“There will be three section leaders for the baritones,” Mason says. “It will be second year as a leader, and I really appreciate the honor.”
Many people underestimate the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into being a member of the marching band, and the Georgia Bridgemen are certainly no exception.
“We practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday,” he says. “Before the games on Friday nights, we meet behind the band room and run through the part of the show that we’re doing that night, and then we head to the field for pregame.”
Mason’s talent extends beyond the marching field; he also participates in band programs throughout the year at Lowndes High, where he is also gifted with the ability to play the trombone. While he just started playing the baritone in high school, he has been performing on the trombone since his sixth-grade year at Lowndes Middle School.
“I’ll miss everything about the Bridgemen,” he says. “I like to go all the places that we do, I enjoy the games, and I enjoy all of our contests. We’re like one big family.”
Kelsie Davis
Class: Senior
Section: Color Guard 
Kelsie Davis is a rather unique member of the Bridgemen. She has experience in the band, as she began playing the flute as a sixth-grader; but during football season, she dazzles the crowd, not with her instrumental ability, but rather with her skills as a color guard captain.
“I absolutely love the football games,” Kelsie says. “There is nothing like being in front of the crowd and entertaining them. I have a lot of pride in my school, and our football team is one of the best around.”
Kelsie explains that the color guard, on game day, arrives early, peps the team and the school throughout the day. Prior to the game, they hype the crowd and, in special moments of unity and camaraderie, they chant and cheer as the band performs songs to pump up the team.
“The team loves to hear ‘All I Do is Win” and “Big Things Poppin’,” she says. “Those are two of their favorites.
Kelsie’s talents have earned her various acknowledgements throughout her high school years. She was the captain of Lowndes High’s first JV Winter Guard during her freshman year. In her junior year, she was named co-captain of the varsity Winter Guard.
Brayden Grantham
Class: Junior
Section: Trumpet
Brayden Grantham is a rare breed in the world of marching band. He is a member of the Georgia Bridgemen, where he will have the distinct honor of being a section leader of the trumpets. As a junior, leading the group of 50-plus players is both a rarity and an earned privilege.
“My freshman year, I was third chair trumpet,” Brayden says. “For my sophomore season, I moved up to second, and this year, I have reached first chair. We have a great relationship with the football team. After pregame, as we leave the field, we jump on the players, we bump them, and we shout at them to tell them how great they are and that we’re always behind them. I’m just so proud to be a member of a group that’s 400 strong, and I’m honored to be a part of such a group with such a deep and strong heritage.”
Heritage is an understatement when it comes to Brayden; his mother, Lee, was a member of the Bridgemen in their early stages as well. During her tenure as a Viking, she served as a section leader for the clarinets.
“We talk about her experiences all the time,” Brayden says. “She likes to give me pointers and advice for when I’m out there on the field.”
Brayden’s strong will and focus pushes him far beyond his marching; he is a first-chair trumpet in the concert band, he is a pitcher for the Vikings’ baseball team, and he is also holding down a 4.0 grade point average.
“I give all the credit to God for what I am accomplishing,” he says. “I am organized and disciplined because of Him, and I make sure to lead by example. I want everything that I do to be a testament to my faith in God and to be an example to others.”
South Georgia/August 2015
Special Feature
The Georgia Bridgemen
Lowndes High School
Valdosta, Ga.
By James Washington
Photography by Micki K Photography
