It was an extra merry holiday season for 2011’s marching band champions. Congratulations to these winners and all of the competing bands.
Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School took home the title at Bands of America Grand Nationals (see page 28), breaking the three-year streak of Indiana’s Avon High School.
U.S. Scholastic Band Association (USSBA)—which recently rebranded itself as USBands— named one champion for each of its six open class groups: Group I, Monsignor Farrell H.S. from Staten Island, N.Y. ; Group II, Frank W. Cox H.S. from Virginia Beach, Va.; Group III, Montville (N.J.) Township H.S.; Group IV, North Penn H.S. from Lansdale, Pa.; Group V, Bassett (Va.) H.S; Group VI, Munford (Tenn.) H.S.
The first-ever USSBA Class A championships also named six champions: Group I, Joseph Case H.S. from Swansea, Mass.; Group II, Lenape H.S. from Medford, NJ; Group III, Perkiomen Valley from Collegeville, Pa; Group IV, Madison County H.S. from Danielsville, Ga.; Group V, Elizabeth (NJ) H.S.; Group VI, New Providence (N.J.) H.S.
Regarding its name change—announced in January 2012—CEO George Hopkins said: “We are at a place in our organizational history where it is important for us to make it easier for people to understand what it is that we do in supporting the wonderful educators and magnificent young people through USBands.”
For the Tournament of Bands, Triton Regional High School from Runnemede, N.J., won division 1A and Pennsauken (N.J.) H.S. in 3A. In the Atlantic Coast Championships the following schools reigned superme: Open Class, Timber Creek H.S. from Sicklerville, N.J.; Group 1, Governor Livingston H.S. from Berkeley Heights, N.J.; Group 2, Southern Regional H.S. from Manahawkin, N.J.; Group 3, West Deptford (N.J.) H.S.; Group 4, Spring-Ford H.S. from Royersford, Pa.
Pennsylvania’s Cavalcade of Bands crowned Open and A Class winners in four divisions. Independent division: A, Archbishop Wood H.S. from Warmister, and Open, Pittston Area H.S. from Yatesville; Yankee division: A, Wilson H.S. from West Lawn, and Open, Upper Darby H.S. from Drexel Hill; American division: A, Rustin H.S. from West Chester, and Open, Haverford H.S.; Liberty division: A, Red Lion H.S., and Open, Southern Regional H.S.
At the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) Marching Percussion Festival, many individuals took home accolades for drumming. In the group competition, Texas A&M Commerce led the college division and Sandra Day O’Connor High School from Helotes, Texas, won the high school division.
