A Couple of Young Rockers Play On

Band Leaders Show No Shortage of Energy

They're two of the hardest hitters on the Old Mill football team, but seniors Bryan Jensen and Brandon Bergersen reserve their most violent outbursts for their rock band, A Cadmean Victory. During frequent shows at Baltimore area clubs, Jensen and Bergersen will destroy almost anything: a wall, a microphone, even each other.

"We just get crazy and start swinging everything around," said Jensen, who plays fullback and linebacker. "It's a total frenzy. It's an outburst of emotion. We get so into it."

Apparently, they're not the only ones. Since Jensen (lead guitar) and Bergersen (lead singer) started playing music together five years ago, A Cadmean Victory's popularity has been on the rise. It is the most popular student band at Old Mill, and the shows usually attract more than 100 faithful fans.

The band recorded a live CD at The Vault, a nightclub in Baltimore. It was featured on a New York City television show, "Rapping with Rock Stars."

"We've got some people who are pretty into us," said Bergersen, a quarterback and free safety. "It's like we have a group of fans now that want to see us every time we play. That's the biggest rush in the world."

A Cadmean Victory, though, has yet to win over the Old Mill football team. Head Coach Mike Marcus said he listened to a CD and found the music too loud and angry. Jensen and Bergersen considered playing a show exclusively for football players, but Jensen decided against it.

"The team would get too crazy with so much energy," he said. "There would be riots and stuff. Half the team would get injured."

So instead, Jensen and Bergersen practice quietly after football practice. They have scheduled shows on occasional weekends during the football season. When the season ends, they plan to play a couple times each week.

"We're going to take the band as far as we can," Jensen said. "It gives us this huge release from everything else."