GAMES
RANKINGS
Band In His Blood: Silverio A Major Leader For Wildkats
THE HEAD DRUM MAJOR IS THE QUARTERBACK OF THE MARCHING BAND. IT IS THE JOB OF A DRUM MAJOR TO LEAD THE BAND DURING THEIR PERFORMANCE CARRYING OUT DIRECTIONS OF THE BAND DIRECTOR.
So, consider Willis senior Tony Silverio the Tom Brady of the Wildkats’ marching band. Band is in Silverio’s blood. His sister was a drum major, and that got him hooked.
“She’d always tell me how the drum majors are the best at what they do,” said Silverio, who plays the trumpet. “As I started my band career, I knew it was something I loved doing. I went and pursued it and did all I could to be the best out there.”
As a leader, band members gravitate toward Silverio because of his positivity and personable nature. No Willis band member is more important than anyone else.
From the veteran seniors to the wide-eyed freshmen, everyone is on equal footing in Silverio’s eyes.
“I try to be the nicest person I can be to everyone,” he said. “I don’t like to judge people based on what they’ve done. I don’t like to listen (to what a person has done) until I’ve met that person and I can see who they really are. A lot of people have different stuff going on in their lives, so I always try to be nice and be a helping hand to everybody and gain their confidence that way.”
Silverio is headed to Sam Houston State next fall to continue his career in music. He plans to pursue a major in music education with a minor in performance. He also intends to perform with the marching band.
Ten years from now, Silverio said he sees himself as head band director at a high school while doing some performances as side gigs.
“Just doing what I love,” he said, “which is music.”
For now, however, he’s ready to enjoy his last year in the purple and white, leading the next generation of Willis band greats.
“Our culture consists of putting in effort,” Silverio said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re not as good as your neighbor when you’re marching out there. It’s a standard of as much effort as you can, all day and every day.
“We have this thing, ‘above or below the line,’ and we try and maintain ourselves above the line, which is high effort. Even if it’s only one percent improvement everyday, we’re just trying to get better.”
THE TALENT SHOW: Greeney Shows Off Her Talents in Athletics, Arts at Willis High
PAIGE GREENEY ADMITS IT IS EVEN HARD FOR HER SOMETIMES TO KEEP UP WITH HER OWN SCHEDULE AS A SENIOR AT WILLIS HIGH SCHOOL.
In her final semester as a Wildkat, Greeney has stayed plenty busy, competing in the pool with swim, performing on-stage in Grease as a Pink Lady, preparing for collegiate cello auditions and being in the National Honor Society.
“I’ve just always been the type of person to do everything I have time for,” Greeney said with a laugh.
Let’s start in the pool.
Greeney competes in the 100-yard butterfly and backstroke races individually and then with the team as a part of the 200-yard medley and freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle. She entered her senior season as the current school record holder in the backstroke (1:02.80) and a part of the 200-yard medley and 400- yard freestyle record-holding teams as well.
The 400-yard freestyle team made it to the Regional Swim Meet in 2021 and placed eighth after a third place finish in district.
“Our goal going into Region is to do the best we can and break another record,” Greeney said.
So, what about all these other talents?
Music has always been a part of Greeney’s life. In elementary school she played the piano, then in the fifth grade she got into the strings program at school and started playing the cello.
“I started playing it and I loved it,” she said of the cello. “I kept going with it.”
Sticking with the cello will pay off this Spring as she is auditioning for Trinity University, Sam Houston and Texas State University to continue her musical playing career at the next level.
Since arriving at Willis High School last year, Greeney has been all about trying new things.
Last year, she joined the choir for the first time and continued that activity into this year. The new line on her resume in 2022 is performing in a musical. “A lot of friends were doing it,” Greeney said.
“A lot of my friends are in the show or had auditioned. I knew a lot of people on the tech crew, and they said, ‘you should audition’. Two days before, I was like, ‘I’ll do it’. Here we are three months later and I’m in a musical and about to perform.
“It’s a lot of fun, I’ve met a lot of really cool people and have gotten a lot of different opportunities. I’ve never done a musical before, and it’s been a fun experience.”
Even though Greeney has only been at Willis High for two years, the senior hopes everyone remembers her for her positivity and a saying she states before every dive into the pool, which could also double as a life lesson.
“Something I say going into a race is, ‘whatever happens, happens’,” she said. “Even if I do awful in the race, it helps me not get upset about it. I hope people remember what I would always say and how I went with it.”