Brenden

I don't think making finals is going to be their main concern. They'll be there, it just depends on how that set of finals performances goes for everyone whether or not they advance. That being said, as it sits now, going off of recent videos found and the last contest I attended (Conroe) here are my predictions. Finals: CTJ Churchill Reagan Bowie Round Rock Cedar Ridge Anderson Westlake Hendrickson Lake Travis/Pflugerville Advancing: Bowie Johnson Round Rock Reagan Churchill Cedar Ridge/Westlake

I dont think thats what theyre saying, theyre taking either top 6-7 (probably 6) to state, i think it is 10 finalists.

I have not yet seen Bowies show this year but based on their last few years its a safe bet that they should still be considered the favorite to take Area D, though it is close. I think i saw someone call Johnson a BOA monster but honestly what first sparked my interest in them was 2010 when they were still a somewhat obscure band, but their success in UIL and showing at state kind of got their name out there. I expect Johnson to perform extremely well under UIL scoring once again but i just dont think theyre ready to topple a giant like Bowie yet. Give them a year or two and thatll be a whole different story no doubt. Regarding CP, dont get me wrong because they are one of my all time favorite bands, but i dont consider them a powerhouse. They have the talent, and possibly the best sound of any group, but i find their visual packages and sometimes show designs to be a little dull which has kept them out of the top 5 as of late, finishing 6th at San Antonio last year, and 9th the year before, with a 10th place Grand Nats finish. Not to mention their scoring seems to be a little erratic, placing 9th in Area prelims last year and then 3rd in finals, and as yall know taking 1st at State. So i dont think its exactly a new trend that they seem underrated most years since On Edge in 08. But as Danpod mentioned, they are 4A which is why they participated in the 4A State Marching Contest last year.

Area D is going to be a heartbreaking night for alot of people, its a shame they can only take 6-7. Either way, my top 7 choices (without guessing the order past 2nd place because that would be a nightmare) 1. Bowie 2. CTJ 3-6 Reagan (With such a contrast between Denton and Conroe results its tough to place them, especially in a UIL setting, but after seeing them in Conroe I would be willing to bet my left arm they end up top 6 and probably close to state finals in San Antonio.) Round Rock (Havent seen them this year, but theyve been getting better and better the last couple years so ill assume that hasnt changed, especially considering their latest win over Dripping Springs who sounded pretty great at Conroe.) Churchill (Everyone seems to have either counted out or forgotten Churchill, but they barely missed state in 2010 and they are much stronger now after starting to rebuild than they were at the time. The shows a little more BOA-oriented so i expect them to make a bigger splash at San Antonio but theyll still be competitive at Area.) Cedar Ridge (Saw them in Conroe, fun show performed well with a great Coldplay segment featuring the only singer Ive ever enjoyed in a marching show. I expect a good showing at Area. Westlake (A solid program, havent seen them this year but i doubt theyll miss it with their UIL track record.) Bubble Bands Anderson Hendrickson Lake Travis

I think, regarding Churchill, that if they keep up the momentum of this year and keep the trend of improving every year since their staff changes they should have no trouble advancing to state next year as they finished higher on the left technical side of the judges sheets than SFA and regean, even higher than Johnson in music. Since UIL likes to focus on those aspects and not 60% GE, it should be an exciting year for them at UIL.

So I think we can all agree its time to stop talking about the decline of Churchill and get excited for their future? I think theyre definitely headed in the right direction now, and with a higher Music Performance score than SFA and Johnson its kind of hard to dispute that, especially considering Churchill had to go right after Marcus for finals and the crowd can be a little hard to impress after they put on a show. Also, it felt like Round Rock came out of nowhere! Im really excited as a spectator to see the playing field levelling off and making room for all kinds of up and coming bands like Legacy, Anderson, Plano East, Round Rock, and a dozen others. Finalists are getting more and more difficult to predict and I couldnt be happier.