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Tossing their flags in unison, members of the Color Guard stand with the band as they line up in their company front. During a company front, the whole band forms a line and marches side by side across the field.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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Walking through Buc-ee’s, Rebecca Clements ’25 and Lian Wong ’27 head to the checkout counter to pay for their snacks. The band spent almost an hour in the store picking food and other merchandise.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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Playing with all her heart, Soomin Oh ’27 performs her ballad solo. Oh has multiple solos throughout the show and was part of the woodwind small ensemble.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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With a judge standing behind her, Kat Murkes ’25 performs on the marimba. BOA judges stand on the sidelines to listen to individual band members, so every person has to be playing their best at all times.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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Lining up from end zone to end zone, the Westwood drum majors join the other drum majors from competing bands to await the preliminary results. The drum majors represent all the band members who worked hard to prepare for the competition.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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Sitting in the stands, Trinity Castro ’25 and Syd True ’26 have a conversation while they wait for preliminary results. The band placed 23rd out of 69 bands on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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With bubbles flying through the air, parents send off the band students leaving for San Antonio. The parents always enthusiastically cheer on the band as they get on and off the buses for their competitions.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
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Walking to the buses, Ben Gant ’27 and Austin Gu ’27 grab their section snacks. Every competition, the band students get goodie bags from the band parents, full of snacks and fun items.
Courtesy of Owen Fowler'
The clarity of the band’s sound rings throughout the Alamodome, and the echoes bring chills to the audience members. On Friday Nov. 8, The band competed at the Bands of America (BOA) San Antonio Super Regional. The band placed 23rd out 69 bands. BOA San Antonio is one of the most competitive contests the band attends.
BOA San Antonio was the band’s last competition of the season, and all the hard work and time they put in throughout the season led to the moment they stepped on the field in the Alamodome. After the final competition, a marching show is never performed again, so the performance was a bittersweet moment for all members.
“It’s a bit bittersweet and sudden that the season ended, especially after the work we’ve done during the year,” Zach Suter ‘26 said. “Marching was still really fun though, we did really well, and I look forward to the next season.”
On the field, the band gave it their all because this competition would mark the end of marching season, whether they advance to finals or not. They wanted to leave the field with no regrets and finish the season strong.
“I think [BOA San Antonio] was the best performance I’ve had all year, visually and musically,” Suter said. “Even though we didn’t make finals, I’m still proud of how we performed and glad I can call that my last performance”
After their preliminary performance, the band got back onto the charter buses and headed to their favorite rest-stop destination: Buc-ee’s. Student’s buy everything from matching onesies to beaver chips and never pass up the opportunity to take a photo with the famous Buc-ee statue. After loading up on snacks and merchandise, the band headed home for the evening.
“I love Buc-ee’s. It’s even more fun with the band because people always get funny stuff and I love being able to hang out with my friends,” Mihika Ferris ‘25 said. “This year, some of us got matching sweatshirts and [pajama] pants, and it was the best time.”
The band returned to San Antonio to hear their results on Saturday, Nov. 9, but did not advance to finals. Regardless, the band members feel proud of the accomplishments they made during the season, and look forward to the next one.
“I was disappointed with our results, but overall proud of the hard work that we all accomplished this season,” Charity Kao ‘26 said. “I had a lot of fun and I love the people I got to perform with.”
With marching season over, the band will now enter concert season. They will host their winter concert on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the RRISD Performing Arts Center.
