Blanchette: Jazzing Up The Zags

Gonzaga band members try to distract George Washington’s Hannah Schaible on her foul shot atempt, March 20, 2015, in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship first round game in Corvallis, Ore. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)

The only thing that has Spokane more a-dither than two Gonzaga basketball teams reaching the NCAA’s Sweet 16 is how they did it. The Bulldogs women, under first-year head coach Lisa Fortier, won their way back to the regional in Spokane, knocking off host Oregon State in a house full of hostiles. And the Zags men laid to rest recent demons that have kept them from the tournament’s second weekend by boat-racing Iowa in Seattle, earning a ticket to Houston. Here in Spokane, love of two is one. So imagine how jazzed the community will get over the one Gonzaga team that’s in both tournaments. OK, not as jazzed as it should. Because that team is the band/John Blanchette, SR. More here.

Question: Have you ever played in a high school or college pep band?