Cheshire High Students Selected to 2017 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band

CHESHIRE, CT — Cheshire High School students Alysha DeGennaro and Austin Ratliff were honored for their selections as 2017 U.S. Army All-Americans, joining an elite group of marching band members who will perform during halftime at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

DeGennaro and Ratliff were both honored Tuesday by their high school and community for being selected from thousands of applicants across the country to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in January.

DeGennaro volunteers with a special needs Winter Guard known as the Connecticut Tigers, who practice hard every week in the spring months for their competitions.

Ratliff has a history of familial ties to the military, as his paternal grandfather Stanley W. Ratliff served as a Staff Sergeant in Japan for the US Air Force during the Korean War. His maternal grandfather served within the American Flying Tigers, a unit who helped to defend China against Japanese forces prior to World War II.

“We are proud to honor this year’s talented group of U.S. Army All-American Marching Band members, and we commend each of them on this accomplishment,” Mark S. Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing, said in a press release. “Like U.S. Army Soldiers, these talented individuals come together from diverse backgrounds as strangers, but through the encouragement of their Army mentors, at the end of the week perform as a cohesive and elite team.”

The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 125 high school senior marching musicians and color guard members from across the country, showcasing their talents during the largest celebration of high school football in America, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, televised live on NBC at on Jan. 7, 2017.

“Dreams are not wishes; dreams are not achieved without a plan, a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Telisa Yancy, chief marketing officer for American Family Insurance. “American Family Insurance is honored to celebrate the achievements of these young student-athletes who pursue their dreams tirelessly and make the commitment to do whatever it takes to make them come true.”

For 17 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Peterson, Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. A total of 330 U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumni have been selected in NFL Drafts. The 2016 game drew a crowd of 39,121 to the Alamodome.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl presented by American Family Insurance is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sports marketing and event management company.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events, visit usarmyallamericanbowl.com and allamericangames.com.

Contributed photos