TOP PHOTO: Your 2025 Mighty Cougar Marching Band practices on the hot turf of Reynolds Field

By Clayton Carroll

JACKSBORO, TN – (WLAF) – Playing music and walking around…that’s all it takes to be a part of the Mighty Cougar Marching Band. Right? Absolutely not. Long hours, hot temperatures, tedious marching patterns, and pages after pages of memorized sheet music is what the 54 members of the Campbell High Band work with in the summer and fall months.

An aerial shot of the CCHS Band during preseason practice on Reynolds Field.

For the past two-and-a half weeks, the Cougar band members have been in band camp. This consists of Monday through Friday practices. For the first two weeks, band members met at CCHS from 8am-8-pm. This past week, the Mighty Cougars practiced from 8-4, with one or two breaks.

The band isn’t just a group of kids that come together and play music every once in a while. “It’s a community,” said Band Director Adam Wright. “We see these kids eating together at lunch, practicing outside of band camp, and really taking kids under their wing.”

The Mighty Cougars playing one of the halftime/band competition tunes.

“At first, we try to be welcoming and encouraging, especially with freshmen. These kids are nervous and rightfully so, so we try to welcome them and put them with older students who can guide them and mentor them,” mentioned Wright.

“We are hard on the kids, but that’s because we know what they can accomplish and want to see the best out of them,” said Tiffany Braden, Band Director. “That way, when for instance, we win a competition or perform really well, there’s a huge sense of satisfaction.”

It takes a whole army to get the Mighty Cougars to sound so mighty. This musical army is led by the aforementioned band directors, Adam Wright and Tiffany Braden. Wright has been the CCHS Band Director for 12 years, and marched in the UT Pride of the Southland Band from 2004-2007.

Both Wright and Braden are Campbell County High School Alums and were members of the Cougar Band.

Director of the Campbell County High School Band Program Adam Wright

Filling the role of assistant band director is Tiffany Braden. Braden has been along for a couple years and also was in the prestigious Pride of the Southland. 

It’s not just the directors that lead and help with the band. Mr. Don Hendricks is the swiss army knife band assistant. He’s also known as the “Director Emeritus.” 

Christy Hibbler is the Color Guard Tech for the 2025 CCHS Band. Ethan Clock works with percussion, and the brass tech is Helen Campbell. Along with these individuals, numerous parents, friends, former band members, and sponsors are a major key in keeping the band engine running.

In addition to adult leadership, there are two main roles that band members fill, drum major and band captain. 

Drum majors are the main leaders of the band. They direct the band during performances and “should be able to keep the band running if heaven forbid me or Tiffany (Braden) can’t be there,” said Wright. Selecting the drum major is quite the process. There is a separate audition in which impartial judges are brought in to select the drum major. 

The 2025 Drum Majors are Jenna Stephens and Kiana Fultz. Stephens is a senior who was drum major last year and returns for her second year on the platform. Fultz, a junior, is in her first stint as drum major. 

Drum Majors are pictured on the bottom step. (L-R) Jenna Stephens and Kiana Fultz.

Cooper Sammons was elected to be band captain. The band captain is “the epitome of what our kids that are in band want to be,” Wright mentioned. He is essentially a drum major reserve, that everyone looks up to for guidance both on and off the field

Not only do the Mighty Cougars march on Friday, they also perform on Saturdays. Each year, the Cougars will perform in anywhere from 3-5 band competitions. This year, it’s four. For one of this year’s competitions, the Upper Cumberland Marching Band Competition, Campbell High will march in as defending Grand Champion.

Band members set down their instruments for a brief moment after a long set of practice.

Expect to see and hear a nautical theme this year when the Cougars perform at halftime on Friday Nights this season. You’ll also hear the fan favorite Cougar fight song, National Anthem, and traditional pep band tunes. We’re only 17 days away from hearing the whistling clarinets, driving drums, and booming tubas. Campbell travels to Lenoir City on August 22 to perform during the Cougars opening football game.

In addition to live radio and TV coverage of Cougar Football over the WLAF Doyle’s Tire Sports Network, there’s also live radio and TV coverage of the Mighty Cougar Marching Band. Watch the Cougar Band performances over WLAF TV-1089 on Comcast-Xfinity,1450wlaf.com, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and you can listen by way of WLAF Radio AM 1450 & FM 100.9 and Amazon Alexa. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 08/05/2025-6AM- PHOTOS AND VIDEO COURTESY OF CHARLIE HUTSON AND EAGLE I)

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