BaritoneBro

I agree with you. I think the RRISD bands are capable of making state. It'd be interesting to see how well Round Rock and Cedar Ridge do in UIL this year, especially they did so well in BOA last year.

I'm interested in seeing how the NEISD bands do at State! I'm betting that CTJ will move up from its 10th place from 2012 (after placing 8th in Prelims) and it seems like Reagan is starting to regain its momentum from the past couple of years. Also, I think Flower Mound is a strong contender to make state finals for its very first time. They already showed that they're making the Grand Nationals push and they beat a Texas powerhouse at BOA Denton. Although I realize the difference between the UIL and BOA circuits, I still think it's a strong indicator for how FloMo will do this season in both circuits.

I think it'll be interesting to see how placements pan out between The Woodlands, CTJ, and Reagan (all three 2012 UIL State Finalists and competing in UIL again this year). I think it's also a great opportunity to see some talent from other Houston-area bands as well, such as Spring, The Woodlands College Park, and Cypress Falls (who made finals at BOA Atlanta last year). We'll also be seeing the return of Stephen F. Austin (who's been pretty quiet for the past few years in the BOA circuit).

I just have to say, that parent was definitely not representative of the program. The Carmel kids were extremely nice and congratulatory of everyone at retreat!

Haha countless Indianapolis hotel managers just had a heart attack at the thought!

Ya I feel like Marcus possibly has something in store. The normal Marcus charm and extravagance seems to be missing. Hopefully they have a secret weapon to restore them.

I'm not really sure about Carmel and Hebron, but I think Mason is starting to become very much like Marcus. When I was watching the BOA Kettering video, that was all I can think of.

With BOA San Antonio completed, here are my new predictions for Grand Nationals: 1) The Woodlands 2) Avon 3) Carmel 4) LD Bell 5) Marcus 6) Blue Springs 7) Mason 8) Cedar Ridge 9) Round Rock 10) Marian Catholic 11) 12) Music: Avon Visual: The Woodlands GE: The Woodlands Bubble Bands for 11/12 spots: American Fork Ayala Ben Davis Center Grove Centerville Harrison Lake Central Lawrence Central Plymouth-Canton After BOA Indianapolis, the predictions are likely to change (again). Anyone else have predictions?

I just realized how much of a Texas power Hebron has become. Getting 2nd place at UIL State last year, 1st at BOA DFW 2013, and 2nd at BOA SA 2013? I think they should strongly consider going to Grand Nationals next year.

I agree. They've definitely grown a whole lot compared to last year and they've shown that they'll keep growing until they're on the field at Lucas Oil. I have high hopes for them at BOA SA and GN.

CTJ and Round Rock seem to be really quiet so far. I'm excited to see how much they've improved since BOA Austin and Conroe! I've also been wondering, if Marcus didn't perform their full show at DMI, will they be finished by this weekend? Or are they building up to Grand Nationals?

Cedar Ridge and Blue Springs are two groups I think will shake up finals. They might push out some regular finalists this year!

I feel like Hebron's going to place top three, pushing one of the GN-bound bands to fourth. If not, I can definitely see them placing top 5 this year.

I know it's early, and I'll probably change them after BOA San Antonio, but here are my predictions. 1) The Woodlands 2) Avon 3) LD Bell 4) Marcus 5) Carmel 6) William Mason 7) Blue Springs 8) Round Rock 9) Marian Catholic 10) Cedar Ridge 11) Center Grove 12) Lawrence Central Music: Avon Visual: The Woodlands/Avon GE: The Woodlands/LD Bell I'm not sure about the bottom two spots - I feel like it's anyone's game this year. I feel like Mason is going to move up this year. I think it's going to be a battle for the eagle between TW, Avon, and Bell. I'm not too sure about Marcus or Carmel this year. Round Rock, Cedar Ridge, and Blue Springs have a very strong chance of making finals this year. There's going to be another battle between Marian Catholic, Blue Springs, and Round Rock.