thorn_mont969

4A Area E State Qualifiers Calallen, Davenport, Floresville, Hidalgo, Grulla, Port Isabel

I hadn't even considered that Covid is still impacting them in some shape or form. Honestly, I was just very impressed that nearly 50% of tonight's finalists are AA.

If I'm understanding this correctly, five of the finalists bands are AA? All the AA bands that placed advanced, with Pioneer and Hidalgo, neither of which placed in top 3 of their respective class, but still advanced to finals.

I believe Kennedale opted to not continue in the SMC process after Area. No doubt they would be a finalist contender. Princeton moved up to 5A and Atlanta moved down to 3A. Port Isabel, unfortunately, did not advance to state and neither did Rio Hondo.

I’ll add my predictions for who I believe will advance to finals in placement order. 1. Argyle 2. North Lamar 3. Canton 4. Canyon 5. Melissa 6. Anna 7. Calallen 8. Hidalgo 9. Springtown 10. Lumberton Bubble: Fredericksburg, Grulla, Wills Point, China Springs (All of these bands have made finals in recent SMC going back to 2014)

Area E really threw me in for a loop. I was expecting to see the same 5 or so bands qualify with an additional 2 new bands advance to state. Needless to say, my predictions were way off from the results, but I genuinely enjoy being surprised.

Very true. Although I find this to be more evident among the 5A's and 6As, but still happens in the 4A level as well.

I've always found predicting who will advance to Finals a bit more challenging than the higher divisions. Primarily because there was a more even distribution of the finalists in the 4A division. In other words, every single area was represented at the 2018 4A SMC Finals. Therefore, the dynamics between the bands is hard to measure because they don't really compete with each other outside of their area until the very last competition, which is state.