Friday Night Lights Feature - Central Catholic High School Twirler

 Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Wow! Can you believe we have already completed the last weekend of regular season high school football? The past couple months went by so fast, and we are sad to say this is the final Friday Night Lights Feature of the season, but to end it off with a bang, we are meeting a twirler that represents not one, but TWO high schools!

This week’s Friday Night Lights Feature is Central Catholic High School and Providence Catholic School Feature Twirler!

In San Antonio, Texas you can find two different schools that are associated with each other. This is the Central Catholic High School (an all-boys school) and next door is the Providence Catholic School (an all-girls school). Twirlers that attend the Providence School, have the chance to earn the amazing opportunity to twirl at events for both of the schools! This year the CCHS/PCS Feature Twirler is Careum Faughtenbery!

With such a unique situation, we asked Careum how the audition process worked. “The Audition process is determined by the band director. It includes teacher recommendations, a performance video, and the ability to perform skills determined by the band director which includes reading a field drill chart, counting music, marching an 8-5 step, multiple batons, blind catches, close body work, one spin illusion, double illusion, fire batons, etc.”

Getting this opportunity has been a lot of fun for Careum. There are many things she loves about her school’s Game Day, but her favorite is “Section R” (section rowdy). “They are very supportive, and always are cheering me on no matter what we are doing. Their spirit is contagious to me. I try harder to be better to help them build spirit in our audiences.” She also really enjoys the other year-round school traditions, including their Christmas Eve Mass. “It is so beautiful and so inspirational spiritually! It has been a tradition since the school opened in the 1850’s.”

With the football season coming to a close, we wanted to know what she most enjoyed this year and looks forward to doing again next year, and she talked about many of the band’s activities. “I really love going to the band competitions, the Fiesta Band Bowl, and the bus rides to the away games. Anytime there is a big groups of band members it is always the most fun. We all love music and being that part of a school.”

Now that we have learned more about her time at CCHS, let’s learn more about Careum!

Careum Faughtenbery, Sophomore
Competition Level: Intermediate
Careum has been twirling for nine years and is coached by Major Margaret Mann and Heather Harmer Hayden. The competition title she is the proudest of earning was the 2022 Beginner Junior Texas State X-Strut Winner. Her favorite field trick is a toss leap catch back hand and toss cartwheel catch. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former CMMOA & Baylor Golden Girl, Adaline Bebo, and current Collegiate National Champion & ASU Feature Twirler, Kylie Cates. After High School, Careum hopes to join The Goin’ Band as a twirler for Texas Tech University while earning her bachelor’s degree, and then attend medical school. 

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – “HOT pink!”
• Favorite Movie – “Frozen 2”
• Favorite Book – “Something Wicked this Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury 
• Favorite Food – “Steak, medium rare!”

Favorite Quote…
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter
 
When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Hang out with my friends, swim, and golf.”

Something most people might not know about her is… 
“I raise and show registered Hereford cattle. I have my own herd now.”

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“To portray confidence even if you are not all that confident. I have learned to ‘fake it till you make it’ in that area. This year at AYOP I believed I could do good and was confident in everything I did. I presented and did a lot better. I learned this particular skill from my coach Major Margaret Mann. She MADE me have confidence in myself!”

We want to thank Careum for sharing a game day with us, and we hope she has a great rest of her school year and start to her competition season! Go Buttons!

We hope you have enjoyed this blog post. We are always looking for great new stories about Texas twirlers. Do you have an idea or some information we could use to help highlight our sport? Contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com and we would love to hear more about it.