2025 BOA Grand National Championships (Nov. 13-15)

[cheeto2401]

since we're doing predictions let me have a try at this

 

1. Avon

2. FloMo

3. Broken Arrow

4. Carmel

5. Marcus

6. William Mason

7. Woodlands

8. Ronald Reagan

9. Bentonville

10. Blue Springs

11. Dripping Springs

12. Dobyns-Bennett

[cheeto2401]

On 11/19/2024 at 7:48 PM, LeanderMomma said:

The 2025 BOA Grand National Championships will be held November 13-15 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. 

I will start listing bands who are confirmed throughout the year as we hear about them. (Thank you @yayband for your diligence in this area!).

AS OF 07/23/25:

1. Anderson County H.S., KY
2. Arcanum H.S., OH
3. Archbishop Alter H.S., OH
4. Arlington H.S., TN
5. Avon H.S., IN
6. Bartlett H.S., TN
7. Batesville H.S., IN
8. Bentonville H.S., AR
9. Bishop Fenwick H.S., OH
10. Blue Springs H.S., MO
11. Bourbon County H.S., KY
12. Broken Arrow H.S., OK
13. Brownsburg H.S., IN
14. Cabell Midland H.S., WV
15. Campbell County H.S., KY
16. Carlisle H.S., OH
17. Carmel H.S., IN
18. Carroll H.S., IN
19. Castle H.S., IN
20. Center Grove H.S., IN
21. Centerville H.S., OH
22. Chattahoochee H.S., GA
23. Christian Academy of Louisville, KY
24. Christian County H.S., KY
25. Cleveland H.S., NC
26. Clinton-Massie H.S., OH
27. Colerain H.S., OH
28. Columbus H.S., IN
29. DeSoto Central H.S., MS
30. Dobyns-Bennett H.S., TN
31. Dorman H.S., SC
32. Dripping Springs H.S., TX
33. East Clinton H.S., OH
34. Edwardsville H.S., IL
35. Estill County H.S., KY
36. Fairborn H.S., OH
37. Finneytown H.S., OH
38. Fishers H.S., IN
39. Flower Mound H.S., TX
40. Floyd Central H.S., IN
41. Grayson County H.S., KY
42. Greendale H.S., WI
43. Greenon Jr./Sr. H.S., OH
44. Greenwood Community H.S., IN
45. Hamilton H.S., OH
46. Homestead H.S., IN
47. Huron Valley Marching Band, MI
48. Jenison H.S., MI
49. Jenks H.S., OK
50. John Hardin H.S., KY
51. Kenai Central H.S., AK
52. LaRue County H.S., KY
53. Lafayette H.S., KY
54. Lake Hamilton H.S., AR
55. Lakota West H.S., OH
56. Lawrence Township, IN
57. Lee County H.S., KY
58. Logan Elm H.S., OH
59. Marcus H.S., TX
60. Marian Catholic H.S., IL
61. Meade County H.S., KY
62. Miamisburg H.S., OH
63. Monrovia H.S., IN
64. Morton H.S., IL
65. Mount Pleasant H.S., MI
66. Munford H.S., TN
67. Munster H.S., IN
68. Murphysboro H.S., IL
69. Murray H.S., KY
70. Nation Ford H.S., SC
71. Neosho H.S., MO
72. New Berlin West H.S., WI
73. Noblesville H.S., IN
74. Norton H.S., OH
75. O'Fallon Township H.S., IL
76. Oak Hills H.S., OH
77. Pittston Area H.S., PA
78. Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, MI
79. Pottsville H.S., AR
80. Pulaski County H.S., KY
81. Rock Ridge H.S., VA
82. Rockford H.S., MI
83. Ronald Reagan H.S., TX
84. Round Rock H.S., TX
85. Russell Independent H.S., KY
86. Shawe Memorial H.S., IN
87. South Dearborn H.S., IN
88. South Jones H.S., MS
89. South Oldham H.S., KY
90. Southlake Carroll H.S., TX
91. Southmoore H.S., OK
92. Sparkman H.S., AL
93. St. Clairsville H.S., OH
94. Taylor H.S., OH
95. The Woodlands H.S., TX
96. Tippecanoe H.S., OH
97. Tocoi Creek H.S., FL
98. Tri County H.S., MI
99. Troy H.S., OH
100. Valley H.S., KY
101. Walled Lake H.S., MI
102. Walter E. Stebbins H.S., OH
103. Wando H.S., SC
104. Warren Local H.S., OH
105. Westfield H.S., IN
106. William Howard Taft H.S., IL
107. William Mason H.S., OH
108. Worthington Kilbourne H.S., OH
109. Yukon H.S., OK

109. wowzers

[Rubisco]

Is Blue Springs suddenly way worse than they have been the past few years?! I'm surprised to see them predicted so low!

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if the top is an ABC fest again, although the B might be Blue Springs instead of Broken Arrow.

I think I had Avon, Bentonville, Blue Springs, Broken Arrow, Carmel, Dobyns-Bennett, Flower Mound, Marcus, Reagan, Round Rock, The Woodlands, and William Mason as likely finalists when first glancing at the list. There's a little wiggle room there, but those would be my pre-season picks.

FloMo, Marcus, and TWHS are the Texas ones with a chance of medaling, I think. But even that might be hard, given the competition. We shall see...

[TWHSParent]

On 9/23/2025 at 12:47 AM, Rubisco said:

Is Blue Springs suddenly way worse than they have been the past few years?! I'm surprised to see them predicted so low!

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if the top is an ABC fest again, although the B might be Blue Springs instead of Broken Arrow.

I think I had Avon, Bentonville, Blue Springs, Broken Arrow, Carmel, Dobyns-Bennett, Flower Mound, Marcus, Reagan, Round Rock, The Woodlands, and William Mason as likely finalists when first glancing at the list. There's a little wiggle room there, but those would be my pre-season picks.

FloMo, Marcus, and TWHS are the Texas ones with a chance of medaling, I think. But even that might be hard, given the competition. We shall see...

Good list. I also have Castle, Brownsburg, Fishers, Lafayette, and Carroll as strong finalist contenders. I'm also sure I'm missing a few (Jenison was strong this past weekend for example).

Are you going to attend Nationals ever again, or at least semi-finals and finals?

[Rubisco]

6 hours ago, TWHSParent said:

Good list. I also have Castle, Brownsburg, Fishers, Lafayette, and Carroll as strong finalist contenders. I'm also sure I'm missing a few (Jenison was strong this past weekend for example).

Are you going to attend Nationals ever again, or at least semi-finals and finals?

I don't know if I'll ever go back. I've gotten so comfortable just watching the live stream. 😅

It's been a loooong time since I've gone. Actually, I haven't even been to any BOA regionals in a while, either. I think the last one was 2022 Houston, when I was visiting my brother. It's hard for me to find time to do any band stuff these days. Back when I was working with some programs, I felt more compelled to attend. Now, I'm just lazy! 😄

It sure is different in person, though!

[TWHSParent]

9 hours ago, Rubisco said:

I don't know if I'll ever go back. I've gotten so comfortable just watching the live stream. 😅

It's been a loooong time since I've gone. Actually, I haven't even been to any BOA regionals in a while, either. I think the last one was 2022 Houston, when I was visiting my brother. It's hard for me to find time to do any band stuff these days. Back when I was working with some programs, I felt more compelled to attend. Now, I'm just lazy! 😄

It sure is different in person, though!

I would be in the same situation, except I currently live about a 1.5 hour drive from Lucas Oil stadium. This year will be my 3rd consecutive (and 6th overall) trip to Nationals. My nephew and his oldest son are also going to attend this year (his oldest started trombone a year or so ago), driving in from Delaware. 

 

If you do attend I'd be happy to stand you your beverage of choice and chat for a bit. It is almost always good to meet people from this forum at contests.

[TWHSParent]

(Shamelessy Grabbed from Hornrank - Thank you yayband914)

 

Prelim Schedule as of 10/1

Thursday Prelims
PANEL ONE
7:45 - Taylor H.S., OH
8:00 - Hamilton H.S., OH
8:15 - William Howard Taft H.S., IL
8:30 - Russell Independent H.S., KY
8:45 - Greenwood Community H.S., IN
9:00 - Bourbon County H.S., KY
9:15 - Warren Local H.S., OH

PANEL TWO
9:30 - Walter E. Stebbins H.S., OH
9:45 - Huron Valley Marching Band, MI
10:00 - Finneytown H.S., OH
10:15 - New Berlin West H.S., WI
10:30 - Grayson County H.S., KY
10:45 - DeSoto Central H.S., MS
11:00 - St. Clairsville H.S., OH
11:15 - Estill County H.S., KY
11:30 - Bishop Fenwick H.S., OH

11:45 - IPS Showcase

PANEL ONE
12:15 - Brownsburg H.S., IN
12:30 - Noblesville H.S., IN
12:45 - Worthington Kilbourne H.S., OH
1:00 - Norton H.S., OH
1:15 - Clinton-Massie H.S., OH
1:30 - Homestead H.S., IN
1:45 - Anderson County H.S., KY
2:00 - South Oldham H.S., KY
2:15 - Dorman H.S., SC
2:30 - Southlake Carroll H.S., TX
2:45 - LaRue County H.S., KY

BREAK

PANEL TWO
3:15 - Fairborn H.S., OH
3:30 - Floyd Central H.S., IN
3:45 - Batesville H.S., IN
4:00 - Colerain H.S., OH
4:15 - Edwardsville H.S., IL
4:30 - Oak Hills H.S., OH
4:45 - Mount Pleasant H.S., MI
5:00 - Logan Elm H.S., OH
5:15 - Lawrence Township, IN

PANEL ONE
5:30 - Bentonville West H.S., AR
5:45 - Miamisburg H.S., OH
6:00 - William Mason H.S., OH
6:15 - South Dearborn H.S., IN
6:30 - Castle H.S., IN
6:45 - Marian Catholic H.S., IL
7:00 - Campbell County H.S., KY
7:15 - Greenon Jr./Sr. H.S., OH
7:30 - Broken Arrow H.S., OK
7:45 - John Hardin H.S., KY
8:00 - Avon H.S., IN

BREAK

PANEL TWO
8:30 - Tri County H.S., MI
8:45 - Dobyns-Bennett H.S., TN
9:00 - Valley H.S., KY
9:15 - Fishers H.S., IN
9:30 - Carmel H.S., IN
9:45 - Columbus H.S., IN
10:00 - Lafayette H.S., KY
10:15 - Marcus H.S., TX
10:30 - Wando H.S., SC
10:45 - Round Rock H.S., TX

Friday Prelims
PANEL ONE
7:00 - Murphsyboro H.S., IL
7:15 - Sparkman H.S., AL
7:30 - Bartlett H.S., TN
7:45 - Munster H.S., IN
8:00 - The Woodlands H.S., TX
8:15 - Yukon H.S., OK
8:30 - Southmoore H.S., OK
8:45 - Pittston Area H.S., PA
9:00 - Flower Mound H.S., TX
9:15 - South Jones H.S., MS
9:30 - Blue Springs H.S., MO
9:45 - Kenai Central H.S., AK
10:00 - Munford H.S., TN

BREAK

PANEL TWO
10:30 - Neosho H.S., MO
10:45 - Rock Ridge H.S., VA
11:00 - Ronald Reagan H.S., TX
11:15 - Tocoi Creek H.S., FL
11:30 - Pottsville H.S., AR
11:45 - Arlington H.S., TN
12:00 - Troy H.S., OH
12:15 - Dripping Springs H.S., TX
12:30 - O'Fallon Township H.S., IL
12:45 - Pulaski County H.S., KY
1:00 - Centerville H.S., OH
1:15 - Walled Lake H.S., MI
1:30 - Center Grove H.S., IN

BREAK

PANEL ONE
2:00 - Morton H.S., IL
2:15 - Christian County H.S., KY
2:30 - East Clinton H.S., OH
2:45 - Chattahoochee H.S., GA
3:00 - Rockford H.S., MI
3:15 - Carlisle H.S., OH
3:30 - Nation Ford H.S., SC
3:45 - Bentonville H.S., AR
4:00 - Lakota West H.S., OH
4:15 - Lee County H.S., KY
4:30 - Jenison H.S., MI
4:45 - Cleveland H.S., NC
5:00 - Carroll H.S., IN

BREAK

PANEL TWO
5:30 - Shawe Memorial H.S., IN
5:45 - Jenks H.S., OK
6:00 - Plymouth-Canton Educational Park E.P., MI
6:15 - Greendale H.S., WI
6:30 - Murray H.S., KY
6:45 - Arcanum H.S., OH
7:00 - Monrovia H.S., IL
7:15 - Westfield H.S., IN
7:30 - Archbishop Alter H.S., OH
7:45 - Cabell Midland H.S., WV
8:00 - Lake Hamilton H.S., AR
8:15 - Christian Academy of Louisville, KY
8:30 - Meade County H.S., KY

8:45 - EXH. Michigan State Univ. Spartan Marching Band

[Tubalord11]

Can't wait for TW's and Flomo to have even stronger runs with those early times and prove everyone wrong 😎

[TWHSParent]

Due to an unfortunate situation (brain tumor found in my youngest grand nephew that requires surgery) 2 finals tickets are available in section 440. Almost dead on the 50. I also have 1 semifinals ticket available in the same section (the other has been spoken for). My ask has been for a donation to curethekids.org and johnritterfoundation.org in whatever amounts you are comfortable. Nothing to me. If anyone is interested DM me. Oh, you get the added benefit(?) of meeting me in person.

[Tubalord11]

54 minutes ago, TWHSParent said:

Due to an unfortunate situation (brain tumor found in my youngest grand nephew that requires surgery) 2 finals tickets are available in section 440. Almost dead on the 50. I also have 1 semifinals ticket available in the same section (the other has been spoken for). My ask has been for a donation to curethekids.org and johnritterfoundation.org in whatever amounts you are comfortable. Nothing to me. If anyone is interested DM me. Oh, you get the added benefit(?) of meeting me in person.

I’m really sorry about this….im praying everything will be okay 

[lost]

On 10/13/2025 at 8:12 PM, TWHSParent said:

Due to an unfortunate situation (brain tumor found in my youngest grand nephew that requires surgery) 2 finals tickets are available in section 440. Almost dead on the 50. I also have 1 semifinals ticket available in the same section (the other has been spoken for). My ask has been for a donation to curethekids.org and johnritterfoundation.org in whatever amounts you are comfortable. Nothing to me. If anyone is interested DM me. Oh, you get the added benefit(?) of meeting me in person.

Wishing him the best!

[lost]

I think this is Marcus’ year.

[slowbrass]

4 minutes ago, lost said:

I think this is Marcus’ year.

I definitely see a music caption in their future at least.

[Rubisco]

I really enjoyed Broken Arrow's show from St. Louis. I get steampunk playground vibes from the costuming -- top hats with goggles -- and the cogwheels on the monkey bars. I love the colors with the white and gold on the band and reddish hues of the guard. The whole thing is very complex and layered, like the inner workings of a clock. I don't love it quite as much as last year's more evocative production, but I was consistently entertained from moment to moment and can acknowledge some of the quirky musical risks they take.

Bentonville was very, very strong. I don't know if I would have had them ahead of Blue Springs, personally, but it's not some big shocking thing. The effect of the black and white costumes is very cool, especially when they turn in sequence, but like any effect, the more you use it, the less effective it gets -- at least in my mind. I actually think the concept is the most interesting part of the show, with the DNA motifs and sequins/sequence riffs. The ballad was beautiful, too.

[packwick]

blaaaah, im gettin the feelin this is gonna be more like 2021 than 2019. hold me!!! lol

don't think it'll be a blowout but def leaning towards an Avon win here rn. the vis program is soooo dynamic and difficult while having a fresh look that's right here right now lol. their ind marcher program is crazy, w/ all the layered body challenges and some proper lifts like you'd see in an actual pas de deux. music's never boring either. guard obv not as strong as 2019 but considering their world guard imploded just a few months ago, rlly pretty impressive.

Carmel, yeeeeea, k, better than i initially thought, and Malaguena is more fun and spicier than id expect from them, but not 100% sold. they've still got the music boxes on the judging sheets mostly checked off ofc w/ their usual expressive range of skills. my fav part is the bull or maybe cow costuming on the guard, there's a lot of personality down there on the field.

flomo, hmmm, tbh, didn't get the hype until the big hit of the ballad, then the music has such amazingly expressive qualities, the longer phrases, the ritardandos. sooo elegant, artistic. continues into the final movement when the vis difficulty steps up a lil after ind marching demand kinda light in the first part, relative to their peers. big finish for sure. flags a lil iffy on timing and angles throughout but was prob windy. overall wish the vis program was a lil more dynamic, it's so... big... a lot. the girth of it all!! lol.

broken arrow, tbh, it's fun and interesting and stylish and bluecoats but somehow still not super memorable for me. big brassy tutti moments when the drill complexly builds into a central focus give u a lil bit of Wow, but i want more. reminds me of tw in me wanting something just a weee bit deeper. marry the fun to the profound.

dont feel super strongly one way or another, just some feelings i have rn.

[natertater21000]

1 hour ago, packwick said:

blaaaah, im gettin the feelin this is gonna be more like 2021 than 2019. hold me!!! lol

don't think it'll be a blowout but def leaning towards an Avon win here rn. the vis program is soooo dynamic and difficult while having a fresh look that's right here right now lol. their ind marcher program is crazy, w/ all the layered body challenges and some proper lifts like you'd see in an actual pas de deux. music's never boring either. guard obv not as strong as 2019 but considering their world guard imploded just a few months ago, rlly pretty impressive.

Carmel, yeeeeea, k, better than i initially thought, and Malaguena is more fun and spicier than id expect from them, but not 100% sold. they've still got the music boxes on the judging sheets mostly checked off ofc w/ their usual expressive range of skills. my fav part is the bull or maybe cow costuming on the guard, there's a lot of personality down there on the field.

flomo, hmmm, tbh, didn't get the hype until the big hit of the ballad, then the music has such amazingly expressive qualities, the longer phrases, the ritardandos. sooo elegant, artistic. continues into the final movement when the vis difficulty steps up a lil after ind marching demand kinda light in the first part, relative to their peers. big finish for sure. flags a lil iffy on timing and angles throughout but was prob windy. overall wish the vis program was a lil more dynamic, it's so... big... a lot. the girth of it all!! lol.

broken arrow, tbh, it's fun and interesting and stylish and bluecoats but somehow still not super memorable for me. big brassy tutti moments when the drill complexly builds into a central focus give u a lil bit of Wow, but i want more. reminds me of tw in me wanting something just a weee bit deeper. marry the fun to the profound.

dont feel super strongly one way or another, just some feelings i have rn.

I'm way higher on this FloMo show than a lot of people it seems. I love it, no one does color progression better than them imo. Love the drill, and this is one of the best(THE best to my ear) sounding bands they have put out post covid. So many gorgeous musical moments, woodwinds are killer in terms of clarity and tone. I don't really think the individual marcher difficulty is going to hurt them much. You could have said the same thing about Vandy vs Avon in 2019 and it didn't hold them back. This is the closest thing we will get to seeing what would have happened if "POP!" had gone to nationals in 2018. 

[packwick]

ok well woodlands friggin finally did their closer at area and it's a doozy. dazzlingly well written drill, super layered and fluid and effective, guard so well staged and also finally reminding me why they 3 and a half pointed the world class comp. buuuut srsly wondering if they can clean this ending in 3 weeks. pretty much from the mambo brass lick to the end needs work work work. still don't like the drum break either, messes w/ the pacing. awesome perf until then. rlly cutting it close this year. dunno.

[packwick]

33 minutes ago, natertater21000 said:

I'm way higher on this FloMo show than a lot of people it seems. I love it, no one does color progression better than them imo. Love the drill, and this is one of the best(THE best to my ear) sounding bands they have put out post covid. So many gorgeous musical moments, woodwinds are killer in terms of clarity and tone. I don't really think the individual marcher difficulty is going to hurt them much. You could have said the same thing about Vandy vs Avon in 2019 and it didn't hold them back. This is the closest thing we will get to seeing what would have happened if "POP!" had gone to nationals in 2018. 

i dunno, vandy's marchers are always flying around the field, it's their guard that, uh, leaves a lil to be desired.

tbf im not high on really any of the shows this yr from start to finish, just parts of them. def more of a glass half empty person lol.

[TWHSParent]

45 minutes ago, packwick said:

ok well woodlands friggin finally did their closer at area and it's a doozy. dazzlingly well written drill, super layered and fluid and effective, guard so well staged and also finally reminding me why they 3 and a half pointed the world class comp. buuuut srsly wondering if they can clean this ending in 3 weeks. pretty much from the mambo brass lick to the end needs work work work. still don't like the drum break either, messes w/ the pacing. awesome perf until then. rlly cutting it close this year. dunno.

I get you on the drum break, although it is true to the source music. When I first heard this I had to check, and yep, it is there.

They are definitely rivaling Avon on the guard staging and presentation. Love what they are doing here.

And yes, they have 3 weeks to clean this up. I would also like to see a little more visually for the closing to really end the show in style.

[packwick]

14 minutes ago, TWHSParent said:

I get you on the drum break, although it is true to the source music. When I first heard this I had to check, and yep, it is there.

They are definitely rivaling Avon on the guard staging and presentation. Love what they are doing here.

And yes, they have 3 weeks to clean this up. I would also like to see a little more visually for the closing to really end the show in style.

funny you bring up A bc that's who i thought of when watching that last mvmnt, prob bc i had just watched em lol. reeeally it's moreso a bloo moment, like that transition into the ballad, which couldn't pooossibly be any more blooo visually.

tbh just think there maaaaybe need to be some honest convos w/ the kids about some of those licks near the end + some talk of reworking it like they did successfully w/ some of the perc stuff. we shall seeee. down to the wire.

[TWHSParent]

3 minutes ago, packwick said:

funny you bring up A bc that's who i thought of when watching that last mvmnt, prob bc i had just watched em lol. reeeally it's moreso a bloo moment, like that transition into the ballad, which couldn't pooossibly be any more blooo visually.

tbh just think there maaaaybe need to be some honest convos w/ the kids about some of those licks near the end + some talk of reworking it like they did successfully w/ some of the perc stuff. we shall seeee. down to the wire.

I'll be honest - I don't follow DCI, so I don't have the same comparisons there. Just hasn't been my thing since the early 90's.

The Avon show in person is a lovely thing and just flows so well.

Carmel in person is music to the ears, but less visually appealing than Avon.

[natertater21000]

1 hour ago, packwick said:

i dunno, vandy's marchers are always flying around the field, it's their guard that, uh, leaves a lil to be desired.

tbf im not high on really any of the shows this yr from start to finish, just parts of them. def more of a glass half empty person lol.

They're flying but no more so than Avon and with typically less complex body. There are a lot of things that FloMo is doing that is more advanced than Vandy from a choreo standpoint. 

[slowbrass]

I think it’s fair to say that among the groups in FloMo’s echelon, their demand trends toward the lower side. That’s the beauty of their designs, layering relatively simple concepts on top of each other until the final product reflects the complexity of their theme. Their calling card is cleanliness, and the most successful seasons they’ve had are generally the seasons when they are able to polish every single moment till it sparkles.

[packwick]

there's def something to be said about getting your show spotless, that's an effect in itself, and i think flomo is going to get darn close to spotless w/ this show by nats.

[quenslays]

Predictions

1. Flower Mound, TX
2. Avon, IN
3. Carmel, IN
4. Broken Arrow, OK
5. The Woodlands, TX
6. Blue Springs, MO
7. Marcus, TX
8. Bentonville, AR
9. Ronald Reagan, TX
10. William Mason, OH
11. Dripping Springs , TX
12. Dobyns-Bennett, TN
------------------------------
13. Fishers, IN
14. Castle, IN

Call me crazy but honestly this looks like a really solid and very possible outcome. Flomo is really looking like they are gonna take the win here over Avon which would be greta to bring Kevin back to texas.Their area run was honseslty one of the best shows ive seen in a long time. The Woodlands is also making astrong case to medal here but I will have to see them at SA to really see where they could land in Indy. Marcus and Ronald Reagan have pretty secure spots in finals, they had terrific area runs and I could see one of them potentially break into the top half. Honestly, Dripping Springs is making a serious case for finals here, they really showed up at area and they looked and sounded amazing, I will have to see how the do at SA to see what the BOA judges think of them now. RR and SLC are both really strong shows but I dont see them getting into that finalst spot this year but you never know.