The Texas UIL Region 16 marching contest was held this past Saturday, with Ropes, Sundown, Whiteface, Smyer and Levelland earning superior ratings and punching a ticket to the upcoming area competitions.
The regional competition was held at Lowrey Field in Lubbock with 19 2A schools and five 4A schools, along with 1A, 3A and 5A divisions. Judges for 1A-2A were Brian Tillman, Anthony Gibson, and James Coffman; 3A-5A judges were Abby Crawford, David Landry and Jim Bode.
Local schools competing included Ropes, Smyer, Sundown and Whiteface in 2A; and Levelland in 4A. Cochran County’s Morton High School also competed in the 2A division.
The regional contest is judged on music performance, visual execution, and general effects, with the specific judging criteria evaluating the band’s performance against a standard of excellence. Judges give a numerical rating from 1 to 5 (1 - Superior, 2 Excellent, 3 - Average, 4 Below Average, 5 - Poor) , and a consensus rating (e.g., three 1s result in a superior rating) determines advancement. 2A division: Whiteface Band – [1,1,1,1]. Band directed by Kayla Driver and Will Moncrief.
Ropes Band – [1,1,1,1]. Band directed by Nora Brazil, Heather Scoggins and Jay Sedberry,
Sundown Band – [1,1,1,1]. Band directed by John Thompson and Steven Neilssen.
Smyer Band – [1,1,2,1]. Band directed by Julie Tefertiller, Brian Galica, Dan McCasland, Jessica Rampy, and Nathan Rodriguez, Morton Band – [3,2,3,3]. Band directed by Darryl Schwierjohn and Dan McCasland. 4A division: Levelland Band – [1,1,1,1]. Band directed by Michael Cason, Matthew Tolentino and Meghan Baern, The 2A Area contest will be held on Oct. 25 at Bivens Stadium in Amarillo; the 4A contest is set for Oct. 25 at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.