Greener NFV fight song

By Rich Holm
Union News Writer

North Fayette Valley, Iowa’s two newest schools to enter into a whole-grade sharing agreement for the next three years, has a new fight song. It was unveiled at the Valley All-Sports Banquet on May 7.

The tune was composed by Valley alumnus Alan Greener, who was a member of the Tiger band in 1980 when he graduated. Last Tuesday, to the delight of the crowd, he sat down at the piano in the Valley gym and played and sang it.

In 2013 Greener was part of history as he now directs the University of Louisville’s pep band. His Cardinals reached the NCAA championship game in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The men won and the women were second.

He is now the only person in the 75-year history of the Upper Iowa Conference to wear a NCAA Division I championship ring on his finger.

Greener will always be one of Valley’s favorite sons, so it was activities director Ardel McCartney who phoned Alan and asked him if he would consider coming home to Elgin to speak at would be the school’s final athletic banquet.

Greener replied, “I always enjoy coming back to Valley and consider it an honor to speak to the students.”

The phone call was one of three significant ones in Greener’s life.

Six years ago Greener received a phone call from Louisville, where he had done graduate work and was the assistant band director. The university never forgot him in 1992 and asked Alan to compose a second fight song for the college.

Greener sat down and in a few hours composed “All Hail U of L.” It became a hit and is now played on the university’s Web site.

Alan remembered the phone ringing. “It was at semester time, and I had to sit down when the university asked me to return. They wanted me right away to become the school’s new pep band director.”

So one day after he accepted his invite to speak at Valley, North Fayette High School principal Todd Wolverton phoned Greener in Louisville and asked him if he would consider writing a new fight song for their new school district.

Greener said again, “I would be honored.”

Alan said at the banquet, “Nothing is etched in stone. If people don’t like, it the tune and words can be changed.”

Greener took his typed written words out of his shirt pocket, propped the paper on the piano, and started to play. Afterwards he took a pen and scratched out the last two lines and replaced them with the words, 

“NFV, TigerHawks, NFV TigerHawks

Go!!! TigerHawks, Fight!!!

One change had been made already.

Greener told the Valley students and fans, “I will be sending the score back to you and everyone in the North Fayette Valley school district.

“I will get some of my Louisville band members together, and we will put it to music. Then we will put it on the Internet for everyone to see and hear, so changes can be made if so desired.”

The fight song will officially be played for the first time at the openingt home football game next fall when the new TigerHawks take to the field.

Greener hinted that he would be honored to once again come back home and direct the band that will play for the first time publicly the song he wrote.

McCartney said it would be an excellent way to introduce Al Greener to all the fans from the North Fayette district as the two schools become one.

Greener, who is a big sports fan, keeps up with the latest news in both school districts and told Valley patrons, “Your new name Tiger- Hawks can’t get any better.

“And your new colors will be like the Carolina Panthers. You’re going to love them, and I see your sharing agreement as a perfect fit for both schools.”

For the record, North Fayette’s present song is the “Minnesota Rouser” and Valley’s is “Hail to the Victors.”