Katy ISD Students Bring Spirit in Big Halftime Presentations
- ncookclark
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
September 5, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
It’s football season and all Katy ISD high schools deliver a spirited halftime presentation that is fun for the entire family. High school bands, dance teams, and color guard bring talent and fun to the field just as big as touchdowns and field goals.
It’s football season Katy, and do you have spirit? Katy ISD student performers bring spirit and fun to Friday night lights.
“Every year one of the primary goals of "That Roarin' Band from Tigerland," along with the Katy Bengal Brigade and Cheerleaders, is to bring together the students (on and off the field), the community, and the fans of Katy in a united celebration of everything Katy HS,” says Katy High School Band Director Terence Gorton.
Katy ISD high school bands, dance teams, and color guards get 14 minutes to thrill their Katy crowd, but these performances are the result of hours of practice and early mornings for these talented students and their supportive families.
“There’s nothing more exciting than watching our students shine under those stadium lights. Every halftime performance is the result of countless hours of dedication, passion, and hard work,” says Freeman High School Golden Elite Dance Team Director Sandi Dunn. “Our students, along with their directors, pour their hearts and souls into every routine and every note. We hope you can feel that energy and love for what we do each time we take the field.”
The Taylor High School Dance Team, named the Pacesetters, are excited to introduce their fans to something a bit new this season.
“The Pacesetters are debuting new styles during halftime,” says Taylor Pacesetter Director Lauren Butaud. “We will continue to do more traditional routines like our field pom and pro style country girl dance, but will also be debuting pieces of our Gameday contest routine we are taking to Florida!”
The Pacesetters are celebrating their inaugural bid to compete in UDA's National Dance Team Competition in Florida in February.
“It is truly the elite of the elite teams on a national stage that can be live streamed, so we are so excited for our girls to compete on the biggest stage yet,” says Butaud.
Halftime is a place for students like the Pacesetters to show off their hard work and showcase their passions to the community but also family, peers and teachers.
“These girls work so hard to balance the demands of their classes, outside jobs, and all the stress of being a teenager, but they come ALIVE when they dance,” says Butaud.
Each year these programs debut new shows to entertain the crowds with. Katy Tiger fans will be excited to see a great show.
“We have added a ‘Spirit Show,’ which we typically perform in the playoffs to the first 4 games in addition to our developing UIL contest show, a full Marching Contest Season starting the last weekend of September through the beginning of November,” says Gordon. “We will be marching in the Katy ISD Rodeo Parade this February, and the full Katy Tiger Band will be marching on Mainstreet in Disney World.”
Taylor High School has a theme of Troop Taylor this year based off the movie Troop Beverly Hills. With the theme the Mustang Band and the Pacesetters are focusing on community and their leadership theme of “Be the Standard.”
“This all helps them be a part of the movement to keep the atmosphere during Taylor games days an elevated and exciting one,” says Butaud. “With our team being 46 years old, it is easy to sink it to the routine of everything being a "tradition", so having a group that is open minded and enjoying the push is refreshing as a coach and I can't wait for the crowd to see them take the field.”
From a seasoned program…the spirit keeps growing especially, for the newest district high school Freeman High School. Both the Golden Elite Dance Team and the Golden Eagle Band programs have grown exponentially since they were founded last year. The Golden Elite Dance Team will debut their official uniform with the traditional hat and boots on September 11, 2025, as they perform at their first stadium game at Rhodes Stadium.
“All of the directors and coaches of the spirit organizations are most excited for our crowds to see the incredible growth and continued improvement over this past year,” says Dunn, who explains that the Golden Elite’s theme for this season is “Bloom,” because last year they planted the seeds for this season’s growth.
No matter what stage a band, dance team, or color guard team is in Katy fans can expect to be impressed with the typical Katy ISD talent at halftime performances.
“Katy High School is the 'Home of Champions' and it is our absolute joy to a big part of the atmosphere at Katy Football Games, Pep Rallies, and special celebrations of our amazing student performers,” says Gorton.
And this story covers just a fraction of the excitement from the many programs that make halftime show magic for Katy ISD.
How to See a Game
Athletic tickets are no longer sold at events. All tickets must be purchased online. Season tickets and individual game tickets (both junior high and high school) are now available online.
Follow your favorite Katy ISD football team. Here’s the 2025 Varsity Football Schedule, which does include Freeman. (note times could change due to weather.)
For more information these incredible halftime performances and how to see them at Katy ISD varsity football events, read Katy Magazine’s story on what families need to know about football.
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