Briar Woods senior William Ghrist, who plays the mellophone, received his 2013 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band jacket during an assembly at the high school last week. He’ll perform during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl’s halftime show in January at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.
Friends, family, fellow band members and other students showed their support for the Marching Falcon, who was one of just 125 senior musicians and color guard members selected nationwide.

“The U.S. Army has a distinguished musical history,” said John Myers, Director of Marketing, Army Marketing and Research Group. “The skills and strengths necessary to be a successful band member are mirrored in Army Strong Soldiers. Only the strongest wear the Army colors, which is why we are proud to honor all of our 2013 U.S. Army All-American Band members and congratulate each of them on their selection.”

Ghrist will join Stone Bridge Bulldogs Jonathan Allen and Ryan Burns, who were selected to play in the game.

For more than a decade, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, providing an early showcase for later NFL stars, including Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Lattimore and Andrew Luck.

The bowl will be televised live on NBC at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com and www.goarmy.com/events/aab or the official Facebook and Twitter pages located at http://www.facebook.com/USArmyAllAmericanBowl, http://www.facebook.com/USAAAMB and www.twitter.com/armyallamerican.