In Texas, football is a way of life. Small towns shut down, and the stadiums are packed to watch the Friday night game during the fall. The marching band, cheerleaders and drill/dance teams are ready to help cheer and support their team to victory. However, the halftime shows at these games have not always been as entertaining as they are now.
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| By Joe Scherschel |
In 1939, Kilgore College hired Gussie Nell Davis.1She was in charge of finding something so spectacular for halftime that the spectators would stay in their seats and more women would be drawn to the crowd. She introduced on September 12, 1940 the Kilgore College Rangerettes.
The Rangerettes were a high precision dance group that performed at halftime with the band. They wowed the crowd with high precision routines and long beautiful high kick lines. The high kick line would soon become a trademark of drill teams all over the country, especially in Texas. The response from the crowd was enough for high schools and colleges to notice. From that time on, a number of dance/drill teams started sprouting up in high schools and colleges everywhere and now have become a traditional part of every football game.
Celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2014, the Rangerettes are still wowing crowds all over the world and are now the most famous college drill team in the world. Now, young teens flock from all over the country in hopes to help continue the halftime tradition and legend of the Kilgore Rangerettes.
2 Vine, K. (2004). Alive AND Kicking. Texas Monthly, 32(9), 114-221.
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