LKendrick

Today has been nuts trying to keep up with all the scores and casts! Looks like it's been a great day for Texas though! Pflugerville seems to be the story of the day for me, they rocketed up! The facebook post of their directors seeing the scores gives me all the feels. Congrats to them and everyone else.

Pflugerville just put up a 92.905 in Scholastic A semis, I would be surprised if that doesn’t land them in finals.

You are correct, I fixed it.

If my list is right, congratulations to Alvin, Pflugerville, Winston Churchill, Sothlake Carroll, Sachse, and Bryan on advancing to Scholastic A Semifinals!

Congratulations to Eagle Mountain Independent and Undaunted on advancing to Independent A Semifinals!

It's WGI Colorguard World Championships time! Best of luck to all groups competing over the next four days, below are a few things that might interest everyone. Firstly there is a list of all competing Texas schools and Independent groups, performance time (in central of course), and the venue they will be competing in. All these performances will be broadcast on FloMarching.com! Secondly, I went full nerd mode and made a spreadsheet of all performing groups including their rank, time, venue, class, etc. And at the bottom of each sheet is a watch schedule that includes all current ranked finalist groups. There is also a spreadsheet that I will update live throughout the day that will have the scores compiled from all rounds so you can see first hand who will qualify for semifinals and finals! You can find that here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U-sOTzfX1bnOfNLLIzWpUchu5yrKyHuqvsljNR-PHkM/edit#gid=0 I hope my neediness might help you navigate your way through literally hundreds of performances. Let me know if I missed anyone and I will update ASAP.

Pulling for Bel Air, the Black Gold groups, CGTs, and Origins to represent Team Texas really wel this weekend at the West and Mid-East power regionals! Loved getting to see most of them last week.

I will write up some comments in more detail on shows I liked tomorrow but WOW. LOVED yesterday. It didn’t disappoint at all for my first live exposure to WGI. I will say Black Gold especially blew me away. So excited for finals today!

Personal favorites so far are McNeil, Dripping Springs, Eastlake, Leander, and Bentonville.

Eastlake a blast again this year. Really fun Bach show.

I’m not sure precisely, but I was added as one around when I started college. So about 6 - 7 years ago.

I will be there, first WGI event I’ve ever attended too. I’m excited!

Mmm. Bread sticks.

Really excited to see who is planning on coming! Of course Vista Ridge will be phenomenal, will be great for the local schools to see the reigning 6A State Champion! And of course if Timber Creek chooses to return they’ll make it a great finals. I’m really excited to see someone like Burleson Centennial show up, I can’t remember the last time they did BOA but they’ll definitely be a finalist, and that drumline? Can’t wait to see that. Mansfield will be a great finalist addition as well, have really enjoyed their shows over the years. Hoping Del Rio comes back again too, has been fun seeing them improve exponentially the last few years. In terms of the local schools, I feel like this addition has been incredibly valueable, as someone from the region it has created a ton of buzz and seems like it has really pushed programs on the show design front to bring something competitive as well as their performance levels. Midland Lee had a real break out year last year, that was their best show in quite awhile and will probably just keep improving. Permian has made finals both times, hoping to see them continue to build. Lubbock Cooper had a pretty strong year last year making finals here and greatly improving their San Antonio placement. Wouldn’t be shocked to see Frenship, Coronado, Midland, Pecos, or a few other local names pop into finals. Looking forward to seeing who else might be signed up.

My apologies, didn't mean to imply you made it a competition, it just usually devolves into that, especially on other forums.

I think it needs to stop being viewed as a competition about which is better first of all.

I wasn’t there, but that seems by FAR the best run they had all year, they really left it out there. That opening fanfare was fantastic on Flo. Prosper did Team Texas proud this year. Congrats again!!!

Congrats to Jenks on YOUR FIRST FINALS!

Which is why bands like Melissa, Argyle, North Lamar, Canton, etc. should go to SA! They'd kill it in A.

Congratulations to Prosper on advancing to BOA Grand National Semifinals!

Yeah it was absolutely not just Vista Ridge parents, I, and many others, were on my feet multiple times in that show all four times I saw it.

I just got home from almost a week straight of marching band. I hope everyone enjoyed the live blog, feel so fortunate to get to contribute to that! There were so many fun moments over the past week, but these five stick out above for me. Rouse blew me away in BOA San Antonio prelims. They’ve always been really solid but when they hit that first Rocky Point Holiday impact…….wow. They sounded like a finalist and fit right in when they performed in exhibition after finals. Incredible improvement this year, they’re gonna be formidable in 5A next year at the state marching contest. Vista Ridge winning their first state championship, shooting up from 24th in 2016 to 1st in 2018. Their performance was one of the most emotionally captivating high school shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting through live. This was so special to watch unfold in 2018. And to make that even more special, Claudia Taylor Johnson and Leander absolutely bum rushed Vista Ridge when they were told to break ranks at retreat. There was a band wearing brown uniforms, and then they were GONE. Kudos to CTJ and Leander on the incredible and wholesome display of great sportsmanship. Shiner high school finished their show in 2A. And then they kept playing as they exited the field. And exited the tunnel. And kept going. Some say they’re still playing to this day. It was so fun and unexpected, it came after an electric finals run as well. The colorguards in 4A HOLY CRAP. Kennedale came on and had flags flying in perfect unison the whole show, and we're not talking little tosses either. Paris also had some insane flag work as well. But MELISSA. That opening flag feature was one of the best things I saw from from a colorguard all week. And their rifles. Just wow. I don't know what is in the water but those north Texas small school guards holy wow. I went to Canyon High School, graduated in 2012. After being out of 4A/old 3A so long I wasn’t sure how Canyon would do moving back down, 2007 was their last year before moving up to 5A/old 4A. Was so so so happy when they were announced as a finalist for the first time in over a decade. Glad to see that they’re still holding their own. Proud alumni. All in all it was an incredible week of (IMO) the best high school marching this country has to offer. The sheer depth of amazing bands in this state is no less shocking this year than it was last year when I went to my first BOA San Antonio. Thanks again to the Dans for giving me the opportunity to join them on the live blog, hope I was able to contribute as much as these opportunities have contributed to my professional growth as a hopeful future music educator. Can’t wait to hopefully be back next year!

Woohoo! Congrats to Canyon. That's where I went to high school .

Melissa has an incredible colorguard and one of the better designed shows I've seen in the last week. Them and Argyle would destroy 1A in BOA in Texas and be competitive at GN.

Kennedale was the clear standout of the first block, would not be surprised to see them medal. Also thought Little Cypress-Mauricevilles show was super creative and fun.