Danny Savalza, man about town.
Savalza (in dress and headgear) keeps the beat going for a rabid Wolf student section. (Shelli Trumbull photo)
Fair warning. Danny Savalza has never, ever washed his dress.
Of course, right about now, you might be questioning why a football running back with killer moves and a blossoming sideline as a jazz drummer would have a dress in the first place.
I can explain. Sort of. Maybe not why he has refused to wash the dress — actually a turtle neck nightie — but why he has it in his closet in the first place.
It seems that young Mr. Savalza, a man who is always keeping the rhythm rockin’ (“If you asked some of my friends, they would tell you I’m always keeping beats wherever I go. From the desk in the classroom to the tables in the lunch room. I guess it’s just a drummer thing.”) is extremely dedicated to preserving and promoting school spirit.
He and his band of mad men shake the bleachers and freak out visiting teams on a regular basis in the Coupeville High School gym. With “Shaman Savalza,” clad in his thrift store find and a large piece of headgear emblazoned with the words “Bow Down,” keeping the beat, they mix intricate wordplay and enough noise to make you think a 747 is taking off each time the opposing volleyball team prepares to serve.
“We have really been trying to bring back some crazy school spirit,” Savalza said. “I found my dress at a thrift shop for a few bucks. Best thrift store purchase I have ever made, hands down.
“This has become a tradition and is so much fun chanting and getting loud at the home volleyball games with my friends and classmates,” he added. “Oh, and I have never washed my dress … not even after I bought it from the thrift store. Sanitary, right?”
Whether he’s keeping the beat in the bleachers or behind a drum during the school’s 7 AM jazz band rehearsals, Savalza keeps the music and good times flowing. But would it have been the same if he stayed true to his first instrument — the flute?
Yeah, he probably would have rocked the flute like few others.
“I started playing because I have a passion for music,” Savalza said. “The different types of jazz music we play are really cool. From funk to swing to jazz waltz, we make it happen.
“Our band is a pretty tight-knit group of kids,” he added. “We all really enjoy playing music and have a lot of fun doing so.”
The group plays throughout the school year, with seasonal school concerts mixed with jazz events on the mainland. Their biggest event of the year is the All Island Jazz Festival, where the Wolves hook up with normal rivals Oak Harbor and South Whidbey to put on an epic show.
Of course, once he’s back on the gridiron and running hard for chunks of yardage, his feelings for the guys from Langley change a bit. When the two schools clash down south on Oct. 12, expect the blocks to have an extra thump and the tackles to have an extra crunch.
“South Whidbey is a must win for us. When we play South Whidbey, it’s not just any other game — it’s a personal thing too,” Savalza said. “We are island rivals; we don’t like them and they don’t like us.”
Injuries and illness had helped to slow down Coupeville this season, leading to an 0-4 start, though a lot of that pain was erased Friday with a 47-14 creaming of Orcas Island.
“Statistically we have been right up there with most of our opponents,” Savalza said. “Our run game is especially effective and works well. The final scores of a few of our games haven’t represented how the game really went.
“Every week we have the same goal, to go out Friday night and give everything we have and get a W,” he added.
As he enjoys his senior season, whether in pads and helmet, tickling the drums or workin’ the well-dressed grandma look in the bleachers, Savalza must also spend some time considering his future.
He plans to study environmental geology with a teaching minor and may join the Air Force after college. He’s been accepted to Montana State University and may also look at schools such as Western Washington, Central Washington, Eastern Washington and San Jose State.
But that’s something to think about later. Right now he still has more memories to make, Savalza said.
“For now, it’s all about enjoying the rest of senior year here in Coupeville, my birthplace and hometown!”
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