METAMORA, Ohio — Evergreen High School Band Director Chris Lyons is hanging up his hat after his 34-year career, which he spent entirely at the school in Metamora.
"From the first day to this day, they're really great kids," Lyons said of his students. "I like teaching out here for that reason."
He currently leads more than 80 students, but the band didn't always have that many.
Lyons said in 1991, the band only had 13 students.
"It was a cozy little bus ride," Lyons said of leading a smaller band.
Lyons said the band grew to more than 140 members around 2010, at a school with only a few hundred students.
"At one time 45% of the school (was in band,)" he said.
He's decided to put away his whistle and baton at the end of the school year.
During Friday's homecoming game, more than 100 band alumni, young and old, joined his current students on the field.
Ben Gilsdorf graduated in 2006 and ended up pursuing a music education degree.
"(Lyons) had a big, profound influence on my life," Gilsdorf said. "Seeing a program like this and seeing so many people involved in music."
For current student Lissa Roesti, no matter what she decides to pursue, she'll take what she learned from Lyons.
"I'm very happy that he pushed me to be the best player that I can and a lot of life skills that I probably wouldn't have learned without him," Roesti said.
Lyons said he often hears he's had an effect on students. But for him, it's the other way around.
"I think sometimes they don't realize that they had an effect on me," he said. "When I see a kid that's so sharp and so smart, they could be doing anything and they're giving me this much time every day."
As he finished conducting his last homecoming game, he's glad to hear his current and past students will always remember what he's taught them.
"That makes me feel like I've done something," Lyons said.
Lyons plans on finishing the rest of the school year before passing the baton to the current assistant band director.