Friday Night Lights Feature - Grand Oaks High School

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Another week of those Friday Night Lights has come and gone, and we are already to the UIL Marching Contest part of the season! We want to wish good luck to all our Texas Twirlers performing with their marching bands over the coming weeks, whether you are playing an instrument, spinning with the guard, or twirling your baton. We know this week’s featured High School twirler will be shining on the field as she continues to represent her school!

Each season this blog likes to get to know many of our awesome Texas twirlers a little better by learning about their experiences. We will be meeting many High School twirlers throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights. We will also be having many of our High School and Collegiate twirlers take over our Social Media Story for their Game Days! Make sure to follow us on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx or at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx so you don't miss a thing!

Our next Friday Night Lights Feature is the Grand Oaks High School Feature Twirler!

Grand Oaks High School, located in Spring, Texas, is the home of the Grizzlies! It is also home of the wonderful Grand Oaks High School Feature Twirler, Emma Mathe!

Emma Mathe (pronounced Muh-Tay) is actually the first twirler in Grand Oaks school history, but she is not the only name you may recognize from her area. “Simone Biles actually lives in my community!” So cool!

We asked Emma how she was able to secure the spot at the first GOHS Feature Twirler, and she said it was all about communication. “When I was entering high school, there was not an established program. I spoke with the band and color guard directors, and they agreed to allow me to start the program at Grand Oaks!” Since then, Emma has helped establish a Twirler Day and has supported other twirlers during Jr High night!

As the Grand Oaks Feature Twirler, Emma is a big part of the school events, but she says it is really the people that make GOHS what it is. “We have an incredible staff and a spirited student body. Everyone is always cheering each other on, which has created a spirited and supportive atmosphere.”

With such a spirited community, there has to be some great traditions, but we wanted to know Emma's favorite. “399 is definitely the best tradition at my school. 399 is when we have 399 students show up to a sporting event our principal (Mr. Bush) will do any challenge the students say. Last year he had to do the polar plunge after our state champion volleyball team won a game with 399 students in attendance!”

Twirling allows Emma to spend a lot of time within the band program, and they have their own set of traditions and inside jokes, but nothing beats Hey Band! “At each game, we invite the opposing team's drum majors over and ask them questions. My favorite question is whether they are single. If they say no, the entire band boos them, but if they say yes, we cheer!”

Being Emma’s Senior year, we know she is soaking in every moment. The one she is most excited for is her Senior Homecoming, especially the parade! “I am most looking forward to our homecoming parade. Each sport and club gets to bring their own float to walk around the school throwing candy at all of the rising Grand Oaks students. After the parade is over, we gather on the football field for a community pep rally.  The band performs our school song!”

Now that we have learned more about GOHS, let's learn more about Emma!

Emma Mathe, Senior
Competition Level: Advanced
Emma has been twirling for 12 years. She is a member of the Texas Twirlers and is coached by Sue Young. The competition placement she is the proudest of earning was when she won the 2024 Bayou City Classic Advanced Pageant. “It was my very first advanced win!” Her favorite competition trick is anything in her horizontal section, and her favorite field trick is anything three baton or a toss forward roll. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by former College Miss Majorette of America, Emma Carr. After High School, Emma wants to major in movement sciences and minor in psychology with hopes to become an occupational therapist. Also, “one of my biggest goals is to become a feature twirler at a top college in Texas!”

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color - Green
• Favorite Movie - “Mama Mia”
• Favorite Book - “Out of my Mind”

Must have Game Day Snack/Drink…
“The Berry Nerd Clusters and Blue Powerade.”

Favorite Quote…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit yourself to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

When she is not twirling, she loves to… 
“Shop, hangout with friends, and play pickleball.”
 
Something people might not know about her… 
“I am the vice president of TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) at my school.”

The best non twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is… 
“CONFIDENCE!!! Twirling has especially helped me be able to be confident in front of crowds.”

The most memorable advice from her coach… 
“If you drop, smile bigger!”

Advice to future high school twirlers… 
“Go to every single event!!! Your 4 years fly by, so make sure to enjoy everything!”

Funniest memory as a baton twirler… 
“One of my funny, but not so funny, moments were last year during a football game, I was performing the halftime show and I was in the middle of a high toss illusion, and I kicked the baton halfway across the field almost hitting a couple band members!! I had to run across the field to grab my baton before the band moved over it! It was definitely not funny at the moment, but now all I can do is laugh at it.”

Favorite thing about marching season…
“My favorite part of marching season is performing the school song and fight song. Our band and football team get incredibly hyped before the game, and hearing them cheer me on is amazing.”

What she will miss most when marching season is over… 
“I will miss all the hard and hot practices with friends, the bus to and from the football games, and most importantly, the actual football game itself!”

We want to thank Emma for sharing their Game Day with us, and we wish her the very best remainder of her senior season. Hope it is full of the best memories. Go Grizzlies!

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.