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2019 5A State


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Just to be clear, VanDoren resigned before the end of last school year, and his replacement was in place well before Cedar Park's marching season started.

 

Why did I not realize or forget that Cedar Park lost a director?  Do you think this had an effect on their disappointing season this year?  Or was it just a fluke season?

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Best 5a schools in Area B in order:

 

Frisco Wakeland

Frisco Lebanon Trail 

Frisco Lone Star

Mckinney North 

Frisco Centennial 

Princeton (maybe?)

Frisco Reedy

 

Wakeland is strong like usual but they were definitely a little off this year, maybe because 2018 was not a state year for them. Expecting them to still compete for first at Area Finals.

 

Yes, I realize Lebanon Trail is still really new but the sounds they produce are great. Their visual clarity is unlike any other school in Frisco. Pretty amazing that they still didn't have a senior class this year, I would not have known at first glance. Look up a video if you don't believe me.

 

Lone star was also downgraded from last year, by a lot, but then again 2018 wasn't a state year. Visually they were just pretty dirty, but the music was good.

 

Saw McKinney North at UIL and they were really present in terms of sound, could be on the edge of a breakout year.

 

Centennial, oh Centennial, they used to be so good. Ever since Lebanon trail opened, they have lost their freshmen and their better middle school. And then in 2017, Lebanon Trail took their assistant who was in charge of the marching band(Probably why Lebanon Trail is so good) Visually they were dirty this year, and the music was downgraded but still very present.

 

Princeton did well in 4a for many years but i don't know much else. They're new to 5a so that success might not continue, we will see. 

 

Reedy has finally established a good program after being open since 2015, excited to see them in the future.

 This area will definitely be dominated by Frisco programs for finals spots, Lebanon Trail getting 2nd at 4A honor band to North Lamar, despite I'm pretty sure not even having juniors that year, is INSANELY impressive. With what should be their first full senior class in 2019, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

 

Princeton is an interesting mix, if it was almost any another area I'd have them in for area finals and even state in quite a few, but Area B is so insane it's unknown how they will stack up, but I'm sure the kids are working harder than ever to make up for the adjustment, so they could fall into area finals possibly, state is a long shot but not impossible. I believe their enrollment is consistently getting bigger though, and they already had a 200 person band program in 4A with somewhere around 1100 kids. That's almost 1/5 of the kids in school in band, so if that ratio stays (which it usually doesn't when schools get bigger due to several factors, but that wouldn't hurt them. Smaller schools are just known for having much higher band participation ratios imo), so with an ever growing enrollment that group could get huge and much more skilled.

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In all honesty, it’s difficult to even begin to predict who’s going to finish where, because draw order affects scoring so much. Forney is an example of a great show that got screwed by an 8:15 performance slot that’s fresh in my mind (partially because I saw that show live while we were getting pictures taken after our run). Great show, great execution, placed 13th because an early draw is pretty hard to overcome no matter who you are.

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  • 3 weeks later...

 This area will definitely be dominated by Frisco programs for finals spots, Lebanon Trail getting 2nd at 4A honor band to North Lamar, despite I'm pretty sure not even having juniors that year, is INSANELY impressive. With what should be their first full senior class in 2019, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

 

Princeton is an interesting mix, if it was almost any another area I'd have them in for area finals and even state in quite a few, but Area B is so insane it's unknown how they will stack up, but I'm sure the kids are working harder than ever to make up for the adjustment, so they could fall into area finals possibly, state is a long shot but not impossible. I believe their enrollment is consistently getting bigger though, and they already had a 200 person band program in 4A with somewhere around 1100 kids. That's almost 1/5 of the kids in school in band, so if that ratio stays (which it usually doesn't when schools get bigger due to several factors, but that wouldn't hurt them. Smaller schools are just known for having much higher band participation ratios imo), so with an ever growing enrollment that group could get huge and much more skilled.

Princeton currently has an enrollment in the 1200-1300 range (heard as high as 1500 but don't know how reliable that figure is). As a Princeton kid and seeing some of the bands around us, I would say we are a lock for area finals and we will be fighting with The Colony for the last State spot. I think this year was a "wake up" call for the band seeing as we placed 6th at Golden Triangle (the only contest we went to this year besides SOF and UIL) and no one from Princeton made All-Region Phase 2 in our first year in TMEA, so maybe everyone realizes that even more work is necessary to compete in 5A.
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What was the name of that new school in Frisco that was really good this year?

 

Also we have to account for which areas the bands are in and if they are competing for spots from area.

Thank You, lol.  Beside's Wakeland, Frisco schools tend to get over looked, probably because they pop up like rabbits.   Lebanon Trail's director came from Centennial and they had a great show this year.  Frisco Centennial is still strong, they are both boa holdouts. Centennial had a strong drill this year that they had trouble executing.  I would look out for Frisco Centennial, Lebanon Trail and Wakeland for state next year.  Lone Star had a good show at area a couple of years ago and Centennial had an off finals performance, they were barely beat by Lone Star, I don't see that happening again.  But Centennial does have a new regime as mentioned earlier in marching band so who knows, this year Lebanon Trail definately executed better in both visual and music this year.

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Thank You, lol.  Beside's Wakeland, Frisco schools tend to get over looked, probably because they pop up like rabbits.   Lebanon Trail's director came from Centennial and they had a great show this year.  Frisco Centennial is still strong, they are both boa holdouts. Centennial had a strong drill this year that they had trouble executing.  I would look out for Frisco Centennial, Lebanon Trail and Wakeland for state next year.  Lone Star had a good show at area a couple of years ago and Centennial had an off finals performance, they were barely beat by Lone Star, I don't see that happening again.  But Centennial does have a new regime as mentioned earlier in marching band so who knows, this year Lebanon Trail definately executed better in both visual and music this year.

Wakeland will advance to state finals for what I believe to be their 6th time in a row, and with Waxahachie being 6A, they will have a very high chance of medaling at state. However, there will be a handful of new band programs that could potentially outcompete widely known schools that have done well in state finals. Among that list I would say definitely Frisco Lebanon Trail and Weiss as state finalists. The judges will obviously favor Glenn just because they are in Leander ISD, and Princeton is the most unpredictable, they could not advance to state at all or place amongst the top 10, who knows? Take Waxahachie for example, a top 5A band for years, placed in 6A state finals. The same could potentially go for Princeton. 3 out of the 10 finalists from 2017 are now 6A, so expect many band programs to come out of nowhere.

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I think you’re right, after watching centennials uil show they are going to have to step it up to get to state, LT has the mojo though, I think they’ll make it. I live just off Hillcrest so I’m technically in Centennials feeder, but son is in Lebanon Trail feeder system right now. He’s not interested in band but he’s 7, I have time for indoctrination lol. Have to make sure I choose the right band contest to take him to over the next couple of years.

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I think you’re right, after watching centennials uil show they are going to have to step it up to get to state, LT has the mojo though, I think they’ll make it. I live just off Hillcrest so I’m technically in Centennials feeder, but son is in Lebanon Trail feeder system right now. He’s not interested in band but he’s 7, I have time for indoctrination lol. Have to make sure I choose the right band contest to take him to over the next couple of years.

Take him to an Area contest!

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I think you’re right, after watching centennials uil show they are going to have to step it up to get to state, LT has the mojo though, I think they’ll make it. I live just off Hillcrest so I’m technically in Centennials feeder, but son is in Lebanon Trail feeder system right now. He’s not interested in band but he’s 7, I have time for indoctrination lol. Have to make sure I choose the right band contest to take him to over the next couple of years.

Bring him to one of our football games and bring him by the band section. I'm a current member and I know we would be glad to see any future members!

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Wakeland will advance to state finals for what I believe to be their 6th time in a row, and with Waxahachie being 6A, they will have a very high chance of medaling at state. However, there will be a handful of new band programs that could potentially outcompete widely known schools that have done well in state finals. Among that list I would say definitely Frisco Lebanon Trail and Weiss as state finalists. The judges will obviously favor Glenn just because they are in Leander ISD, and Princeton is the most unpredictable, they could not advance to state at all or place amongst the top 10, who knows? Take Waxahachie for example, a top 5A band for years, placed in 6A state finals. The same could potentially go for Princeton. 3 out of the 10 finalists from 2017 are now 6A, so expect many band programs to come out of nowhere.

I dont think judges will favor a school just because of what district they are in.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bring him to one of our football games and bring him by the band section. I'm a current member and I know we would be glad to see any future members!

He’s been to dci, boa in dfw and Plano East marching festival several times as well as a couple of others. He’s 7 so soccer rules right now. Clark middle school has a strong program and he’ll go there from his current elementary school, so maybe he’ll flip in middle school:)

 

I probably do need to take home to the Frisco Isd showcase next year.

 

I will say this, we went to a football game with my father and he was baffled by the crowd talking during the band performance at half time, lol. Kid has the etiquette down.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Thank You, lol.  Beside's Wakeland, Frisco schools tend to get over looked, probably because they pop up like rabbits.   Lebanon Trail's director came from Centennial and they had a great show this year.  Frisco Centennial is still strong, they are both boa holdouts. Centennial had a strong drill this year that they had trouble executing.  I would look out for Frisco Centennial, Lebanon Trail and Wakeland for state next year.  Lone Star had a good show at area a couple of years ago and Centennial had an off finals performance, they were barely beat by Lone Star, I don't see that happening again.  But Centennial does have a new regime as mentioned earlier in marching band so who knows, this year Lebanon Trail definately executed better in both visual and music this year.

I definetely agree that they are overlooked lol. I know it was a rough season for them in 2018, but I was shocked by Frisco Liberty at BOA Plano in 2016, thinking they had an outside shot at finals. They placed 16th, but it was a very clean show, especially visually. I also thought Lone Star was robbed at 26th place at BOA Southlake in 2017, but they definetely finished the season strong. 

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