principalagent

Dobyns-Bennett is stupid good. I think it's their best show yet and the others don't come close. So much care, intentionality, nuance in their music book and the visual book is doing great to set the kids and the theme up. The chorus has to be one of the best in marching band in the last decade, and everything is working seamlessly together. I think they're in finals, and I don't think they're 12th either.

I’m personally looking very hard at 2003 GN Semis and hoping there’s similar energy for Semis *and* Finals this time around.

I think we still head to a Leander ISD threepeat, but I’m shakier on the prediction than I had been. There’s a lot of good band in 5A this year. Wakeland of course is happy to play spoiler to LISD’s fun, and this year is far from an exception. Not to mention Weiss and Johnson attempting to make an impact on their way to 6A next season. Not sure who else could make a meaningful challenge up top. Lone Star is very clean, Forney’s show has wheels (the design caption should treat them favorably), and Highland Park could be anywhere.

Keller is going to State. Period. Take it to the bank.

Loving this “Pearland is a sure bet” energy. Let’s keep it going everyone!!!

Honestly, if I’m having a bad day I pull that thread up because it’s not short of humor at allllll.

To be fair, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, Flower Mound didn’t make their choice on their own accord. For things like that, school administrations matter too (not just district, but the school itself). also, these programs at this caliber have constant feedback from BOA judges outside of competitions. They come in and clinic, watch videos, speak personally with directors, etc. Even without the direct comparison, there are still many checkpoints along the way. There have been years that Mason or BA just walk into Grand Nationals without having been to a BOA all season and they’re just fine.

They’ve historically had a great relationship with the Westlake program, and this marching contest, for decades now and perhaps they prefer this loyalty. I do agree that it isn’t as competitive, but for a long season, that can be okay.

I was a fan! I hate that Stephanie Chavez is working with such a small guard, but the work she's giving the girls she has is SO GOOD and they're killing it.

Yes if they keep it up.

PERIODT! I really hope Houston doesn’t rain out ?

They are in fact! They just got caught in explosive growth, just like Prosper did in 2016-2017.

I think we still get 6. I think four are very obvious at this point, and Marcus and Vista Ridge can still play and march considerably better fundamentally than the groups around and below them. Even where their designs might not *yet* gel like the other two or three groups going (haven’t seen FloMo yet), I have to believe that performance will lift all boats here.

Clear Brook and Lake Travis are both probably going to be in, perhaps comfortably, the way I see it.

You're going to be proud of them all season, and it's going to be because of the numbers as well as the experience of watching them.