Patriot Pride band shines in Paragould trips
Band gearing up for fifth straight trip to State Contest
By ANDY WELD
MSD Communications
The Marion Patriot Pride Marching Band made two trips to Paragould last week, coming away with two strong showings.
On Monday, October 21, only two days after traveling to a competition on the Gulf Coast, the Marion Band competed at the ASBOA Region Marching Assessment, held at Paragould’s Ram Stadium. Not only did the band receive straight Superior ratings, but they also received perfect scores from all three adjudicators. This qualifies the Marion Patriot Pride Band for the ASBOA State Marching Contest to be held Nov. 6 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. This will mark Marion’s fifth consecutive trip to the State Marching Contest, a school record.
Then, five days later on Saturday (Oct. 26), the Marion returned to Greene County and competed with nearly 30 bands from Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi at the 42nd Annual Paragould McDonald’s Marching Invitational.
Marion finished the night in 4th place out of 28 bands and was rated 1st in Visual Performance by one adjudicator. Percussion, color guard and the band all earned First Division awards. Among Arkansas bands, Marion finished second, with only 7A powerhouse Cabot High School scoring higher.
“The Paragould Invitational is a wonderful opportunity to compete with other elite programs,” said Marion Director of Bands Monty Hill. “This level of competition, along with the judging format, prepare us for our final push to the 6A Marching Contest on Nov. 6. Our students performed a show of lifetime Saturday night, and our staff could not be more proud of their supreme efforts.”
Order of finish for the Paragould Invitational was as follows: 1. Arlington – 89.35 2. Cabot – 89.28 3. Desoto Central – 87.75 4. Marion – 87.5 5. Lewisburg – 86.55 6. Green County Tech – 83.5 7. Horn Lake – 82.5 8. North Point Christian – 82.2 9. Mountain Home – 80.8 10. Brookland – 79.6 11. Hope – 79.1 12. Valley View – 79.05 13. Rivercrest – 76.9 14. Pottsville – 76.9 15. Batesville – 75.9 16. Westview – 73.9 17. Westside – 73.25 18. Harrisburg – 72.1 19. Clarksville – 69.8 20. Nettleton – 69.25 21. Southside – 68.9 22. Piggott – 67.9 23. Gosnell – 67.3 24. Huntington – 67.1 25. Heber Springs – 64.65 26. Truman – 63.9 27. Hoxie – 61.6 28. Haywood – 60.7 The band’s final performances of the season will be
as follows:
■ ■ November 6 – ASBOA State Marching Contest
■ ■ November 8 – Home football game vs. Benton
■ ■ November 9 – US Bands Southeast Championship, Huntsville, Ala.
This fall, Marion is fielding its largest band in school history, with 160 members in its competition band and 180 student musicians taking the field for halftime performances on Friday nights. The theme for this year’s competition show is “Riveting.” The show pays homage to “Rosie the Riveter” and all of the women who supplied America’s war effort during World War II.
The Marion School District is an innovative and growing district that ensures an equitable, engaging learning community where every student is empowered to achieve academic excellence and personal growth. With more than 150 years of experience serving families in Crittenden County, the district offers a high school, a junior high, a seventh grade academy, and three award-winning magnet schools. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.
The Marion Patriot Pride Marching Band performs in competition last weekend in Paragould.
Photo courtesy of MSD
