Jacob Williams and Emily Bertram, both Clinton County High School alumni, are shown from their vantage point last week in Nashville during the SEC basketball tournament. Both are members of the University of Kentucky Pep Band.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats celebrated wining its recent SEC Tournament championship this past Sunday after whipping Arkansas, 78-63.

Most Clinton County fans were tuned in to a television or among the lucky few who made the trip to Nashville, Tennessee to watch the Cats reach it’s 34-0 mark on its quest for a perfect season.

Two Clinton County High School Alumni were on hand at Bridgestone Arena with some of the best seats in the house … the Pep Band Section.

Jacob Williams and Emily Bertram attend the University of Kentucky and both play alto saxophone in the Pep Band for the Wildcats.

Not just anyone can play on the Pep Band for the University of Kentucky. There is a lengthy process each member has to go through in order to be one of the selected few who gets to go to all the games and sit right on the floor.

“In the summer before my first semester at UK, I scheduled an audition and came to play before an adjudicator. This audition gets you into the Wildcat Marching Band,” Bertram said. “You must make it into the marching band before you are allowed to audition for the basketball pep band. There are two auditions after the initial audition. The first one is for the fall semester that occurs during band camp and the second audition is held in December and is for the spring semester. I have auditioned a total of three times.”

Williams said the auditions consist of playing scales, sight reading and playing an audition piece.

Both Williams and Bertram reached the prestigious U.K. Marching Band and the Pep Band after spending their high school years as a part of the Clinton County High School band program, which is under the direction of Doug Sell.

Not only does Wildcat Head Coach John Calipari use the platoon system with his team, named the Blue and White Platoon, but the band uses the same system as well.

The pep band is divided into two 50-piece units and both the blue and white units alternate home games.

Williams and Bertram said they have played in about 10 home games this season, including the SEC Tournament held this past weekend in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’ve played at 10 men’s basketball games and about the same number of women’s basketball and volleyball games,” Williams said. “I played at the football games as well as women’s basketball and volleyball. We also do several pep rallies and other events throughout the year,” Bertram added.

Bertram said this past year, playing for the Wildcats, has been an experience she will never forget. To be able to witness history and to see the BBN (Big Blue Nation) in action was unforgeable.

“It has been an amazing experience. I have actually personally witnessed history be made just a few feet in front of me. They call it the Big Blue Nation, and that’s truly what it is,” Bertram said. “The saxophone section was walking around downtown Nashville a couple nights ago and the streets were solid blue. Anywhere the cats are playing, you can guarantee you’re not alone. It was not until this tournament that I truly realized that I was part of this great community. Fans and alumni will see the Wildcat Marching Band shirt and will strike up a conversation. Everyone you talk to feel like old friends because you can talk about the game the night before or start the CATS chant and immediately feel connected. It is also pretty awesome when the players acknowledge that you’re in the band and seem grateful for you being there. Willie (Cauley-Stein) even stopped by to play football with some of the band after one of our evening marching rehearsals. They all seem to be really cool guys.”

Williams said it has been really great being apart of the band and supporting the team.

The band is directed by Scott-Lee Atchison and he uses criteria in order to pick who goes on road trips and away tournaments.

Bertram said the reason for a smaller pep band section is because only so many are permitted to go.

Bertram and Williams were assigned to the SEC Tournament, but the final four pep band members haven’t been selected as of this week.

“Other members of the pep band will play at the NCAA tournament,” Williams said.

When the UK Pep Band is seen playing in Rupp Arena, they didn’t just come together on that day to play music for the crowd. The band spends three nights a week, in two-hour rehearsal sessions. Bertram said it has been hard to juggle both the pep band and other activities during the year.

“During football season we rehearse three nights a week for two hours and that is after a full day of classes. On game days, your Saturday is completely gone as we have a full morning of rehearsal before the game even begins. I also joined the UK Mock Trial Team which met two nights a week for two hours. I learned very quickly that organization and time management were key factors in succeeding,” Bertram said. “Right off the bat I spread myself very thinly and really had to stay on top of things in order to succeed. Many people said it would be difficult to accomplish with all of my time commitments, but I ended my first semester at UK with a 4.0 GPA and was a member of the Dean’s List.”

“While pep band is time consuming, ultimately it’s been a rewarding experience as I’ve made new friends and even met and hung out with some of the basketball players,” Williams added.

Bertram said she is grateful for being in the band and for her decision to start playing in the band during her middle school years.

She believes it has helped her make the transition into college life and the memories and people she has met will be forever ingrained in her college experience.

“The adjustment to college was much easier than I anticipated and I owe it all to the Wildcat Marching Band. I honestly see it as an answered prayer. I prayed that the right people would be put in my life, and here I am,” Bertram said. “Being a part of the band gives me a sense of community. That is why I will always be an advocate for music education in the school system. Had I not been a member of the band middle and high school, I would never be where I am today. I would have never been given so many opportunities and would not be surrounded by so many great people.”

Bertram is the daughter of Jeff and Sandy Bertram and is majoring in english and is pre-Law.

Williams is the son of Mike and Teresa Williams and is currently double-majoring in economics and mathematical economics.

Both Williams and Bertram are 2014 Clinton County High School graduates.