Published: Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009 / Updated: Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009 12:44 PM
Fort Mill, Nation Ford both march to state titles
FORT MILL TOWNSHIP --
Two high schools, two marching bands and two State Championships.
Bands from Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools both took home first place honors in the State Championship competition last weekend. In Class AAA at Woodmont High School, Nation Ford brought home its first State win in the school's three-year history. The band also won prizes for Best Music and Best Visual Performance, scoring a 91.65. Second place went to Blue Ridge High School with a score of 90.
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Fort Mill will reprise its award-winning show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bob Jones Stadium.
Nation Ford hosts the Band Beat competition at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
The win was exciting, especially because it was the first S.C. trophy Nation Ford students will put in their growing trophy cabinet.
“Every year is special for those kids involved. The faces change, but it's always the students' band,” Director Martin Dickey said. “That's my goal, to make sure every student that comes through the band has a good chance at success.”
Fort Mill's Marching Band competed in Class AAAA at Batesburg-Leesville High School, taking home its fourth state championship in Class AAAA and its 22nd State Championship overall. Most notably, Fort Mill's margin of victory (3.15 points) is the largest at AAAA state finals since 1978, when Spring Valley won by almost five points over Summerville.
Fort Mill's victory on Saturday kept alive a streak that was in jeopardy. Since 1976, every class of seniors at FMHS has won at least one state band title by the time they graduated. This year's group of seniors placed second in 5A (2006), third in 4A (2007), and second in 4A (2008) before placing first on Saturday.
“They were excited; they've just been working very hard this whole year and had a stellar year all the way through,” Director John Pruitt said.
To celebrate the victory, Fort Mill will perform one final run-through of its award-winning show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bob Jones. Everyone is invited. Admission is free.
Now, Pruitt said, the band members will focus on the concert season. While not as demanding on the students; time after school, concert band is integral to the students' musical education, he added.
It's the most important part,” Pruitt said. “Actually the concert bands are the hub of the band program at FMHS. That's where the students learn the skills, hone their craft to make a successful jazz band, marching band and chamber ensemble. It all comes from concert band. That's where you see the growth. They should finish the year at a higher level than they entered.”
Indian Land High School also competed in the State Championships last weekend, taking home sixth place in Class A. Director Matthew Willis said he was pleased with the students' performance at the competition and throughout the marching band season this year, he said.
“Saturday night was a very good night for us,” Willis said. “The kids came off of the field excited and pleased with their performance and that is the goal. To see their faces excited and proud of what they have done, it makes the hours of work oh, so worth it.”
The Nation Ford Marching Band won't be resting on its championship laurels this week. The band prepares to go to Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis on Nov. 12. The band will compete against 90 bands from across the nation in a challenging three-day schedule of competitions. The band hopes to do well enough in the preliminary competition on Nov. 12 to advance to the semi-finals on Nov. 14.
“Everybody was happy, excited, but the students also realize we have Grand Nationals so we get back to work today,” Dickey said. “At Grand Nationals you really have to perform at your highest level and the show has to be technically challenging and demanding on the performer musically and visually. They have to march well and play well at a high level. Our goal is just to make it to the semifinals.”
The Nation Ford band will also perform an exhibition show at 4:15 Saturday during the band's Band Beat competition at the NFHS stadium. Twenty bands are scheduled to compete at the event, sponsored by Nation Ford, East Lincoln High School and Carolina Drum and Bugle Corps.
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