Mike McBandiel

Something ironic that I found was the 2 schools that make the 6A D1 Football State Championships every year (Duncanville & North Shore) tied here at the state marching contest, might be foreshadowing their likely matchup in Football this December lol

Every Area B band in this contest made state finals😳

I know it’s been a few days but I want to give my thoughts the area contest from this past weekend. Congrats to all 4 bands who made state out of this area! It’s awesome to see Wakeland, Lone Star, and McKinney North defending their state spots in this area and congratulations to Argyle for making the 5A state championship for the 1st time in school history, huge deal for that program, especially since they were a 4A only a few years ago, and it’s awesome to see them get their revenge this year after heartbreak last year!! I am sad for Lebanon Trail since they had such an awesome show this year and were 1 point away from Argyle in finals, but they should still be proud of the amazing product that they put out this year and we’ll see if they will get their revenge next year. Lone Star and Wakeland were also 1 point apart from each other so we’ll see how they do against each other at state👀. Shocked to not see Emerson and The Colony in finals, but with the area being the way it is, there will always be surprises. Congrats to all of the other finalists (Reedy, Liberty, Memorial, Walnut Grove, and Heritage) for amazing showings on Saturday night and I see very bright futures ahead for all of these bands!

wow, this forum is super hot and it's not even the day of the contest yet lol

Here are predictions based on results and trends: 1. Wakeland (one of the best bands in the country and have a high chance of medaling at state again this year) 2. Lone Star (having their best year yet and could honestly win here too) 3–9 can literally be anyone but here is what I think will happen 3. Argyle (might be a little bit high but their band has definitely sized up a lot and they’re coming in seeking revenge from what happened here last year, they will have to put their best performance forward with this area being the way it is but can for sure do it, after being decently close to making finals at BOA Bedford and having a good showing in the Melissa competition, they will definitely have a shot at making state) 4. Lebanon Trail (they were a state finalist last year after making through a crazy area competition last year, they’re show is really good this year and is definitely state finalist capable once again this year, it will be hard to recap with this competition shaping up to be even crazier this year, but I think that they will come in clutch like last year and will breakthrough to state once again) 5. Reedy (definitely one of the best bands, if not, the best band that Reedy has ever had and we’ll see if they can make state for the 1st time in school history, they will have to recap on their momentum from Wylie and breakthrough to get into the state championship, it will be close, but can definitely do it) 6. McKinney North (might be kind of low but can definitely medal here at this competition, their show is very similar to last year’s, which ended up being very successful by making state last year, and we’ll see how they can potentially recap on their state appearance from last year, with the area being even crazier this year, I have a feeling that they might end up here, but we’ll what they can do this year) 7. Walnut Grove (definitely a band that has taking a big step up this year with an impressive showing at McKinney and BOA Prosper and will for sure be in that mix to make state, they will have to put their best performance forward, but are definitely capable of breaking through, they may be new, but they are rising very quickly) 8. Emerson (very good show for Emerson this year and could honestly be in that mix to make state as well, similar to Walnut Grove, they are on the rise despite being a new school, but after very good showings at Birdville and McKinney, they will be a band to watch out for) 9. The Colony (after winning Don Hanna once again, they will definitely be a contender as well to make state, it will depend on if they can hang on with these rising bands and if they can breakthrough, they are for sure capable of it) 10. Independence (after not making finals last year, I think that Independence will find their way back into finals, I think that it will come down to them and the other Frisco bands to fight for that last spot) This area is definitely one of the hardest to predict and we’ll see what will happen. This is starting to remind me of 6A Area D where there are like 7-9 bands that have potential to make state finals, but only a few will get in. I can’t wait to see how this area shapes out in a few weeks.

1. Lone Star 2. Rock Hill 3. McKinney 4. Lebanon Trail 5. Argyle 6. Celina 7. Heritage 8. Independence 9. Memorial 10. Liberty 11. North Forney 12. Garland

Colleyville Heritage: 1:47:07 Argyle: 2:00:17

https://pdlconline.org/program.html this contest is STACKED

Early predictions for the contest: (1-3 are completely interchangeable since they are all very high level bands that are super close in scores) 1. Marcus (I’m going off last year’s state results so this will probably change. Marcus had a really good last year and they ended up getting the silver medal at state just in front of their fellow piers, Hebron and Flower Mound. They had an amazing show last year and their percussion always amazes me when they play.) 2. Hebron (always an amazing band to watch. They’re always a fan favorite and are one of the best and cleanest sounding bands in the country and always look amazing. They were the highest placing Texas band at Grand Nats last year against a bunch of amazing 6As and got the Bronze at state last year.) 3. Flower Mound (another one of those bands out this area that have a shot at winning state each year. They definitely are one of the most visually appealing imo with their creative uniforms and props. They sound amazing as well and I believe they got 1st by a judge last year at state) 4. Prosper (I think that it’s a toss up for this spot, but I feel like Prosper is gonna get that final spot. They have definitely been on an upward trend as of recent. They had one of the best and most entertaining shows last year and with them being one of the two bands from DFW to go to Grand Nationals this year, I think that they will put the best show they possibly can. They seem to be better with the BOA competitions but they can definitely come in clutch when it matters in any competition.) ———————————————— 5. Wylie (they will definitely be fighting for that last spot to get into state and I think they come up short, but don’t sleep on Wylie. They were in the top 4 in Area C last year and with all of the same bands that made state out of that Area last year, that could definitely boost their confidence. They almost won BOA Waco last year and the finals actually happened, who knows if they could’ve passed Dripping Springs in finals. They are definitely one of the most underrated bands in Texas and they usually come in clutch when it matters in area.) 6. Wylie East (another one of those bands that will be fighting for that last spot. Ever since they came out of 5A 2 years ago, they have made state every year. They are always right behind Wylie and it’s just a matter of time before they pass them up. They did good at BOA San Antonio last year and they could definitely get that state spot with the way they have been trending up lately.) 7. McKinney Boyd (they were one spot short last year, and even with a smaller area, they still have a great shot at making state. I really liked their show from last year and it was not that long ago that they made state back in 2022. They can definitely be a dark horse (no pun intended) to make state this year and maybe home-field advantage could potentially play in their favor) 8. Rock Hill (despite being a newer school, they have been getting better and better each year. Last year was a really good year for them considering the fact that they beat future 6A state finalists at BOA Prosper. It seems like they do better with the BOA competitions but I can definitely see them pulling through to a whole new level this year 9. McKinney (this was definitely an awesome band to watch with one of their best years they’ve had in a while. They made Area finals for the 1st time in 7 years last year and having a good placement at BOA Waco last year. I can only see them going up from here and maybe home-field advantage could play a role in their performance like McKinney Boyd) 10. Byron Nelson (they had a really good show last year and they made area finals last year with some good placements like 8th in Prelims and 10th in Finals. From 4th to 10th is very wide open and I can definitely see them placing higher. They had one of their best years yet and they will for sure recap on it this year. I can for sure see bands like Braswell, Lewisville, and the Plano schools finals but with this area looking extremely chaotic, anything could happen. This is gonna be such an amazing competition and I will try to see if I can at least attend finals here since there are so many amazing area comps in DFW.

Bands currently enrolled in this contest: Burleson Centennial Keller Mesquite Sachse Duncanville Colleyville Heritage Chisholm Trail Mansfield Timberview Mansfield Brewer Lewisville Newman Smith Granbury Cleburne Fossil Ridge Trinity Byron Nelson Frisco Emerson The Colony Lovejoy V.R. Eaton Mansfield Legacy Denton Guyer Mesquite Horn Red Oak Birdville, Richland, and Haltom will each have exhibition performances

This competition is STACKED, I’m so excited to see what happens

Lake Ridge HS 2024: Olympia

Cedar Park HS 2024: The Cutting Edge

Wakeland HS 2024: …where the heart is

Here are my predictions so far (I'm basing these predictions on last season's results, and other past results from the last few years): 1. Lone Star 2. Rock Hill (they could for sure be 1st but they seem to do better with the BOA scoring system over the UIL system and the UIL Area format is used for this contest) 3-4. Argyle/Lebanon Trail (very close at Area between these 2 last year) 5. McKinney 6. Lake Highlands 7. Lakeview Centennial 8. Lovejoy 9. Memorial 10. Garland 11. Independence 12. North Forney/Anna/Benton/Rowlett/Burleson/Celina (could be any of these schools) There are some schools that I don't know as much as others like Jasper, Benton, and some other schools, but once I find out more about them, I will revise these predictions, especially when the season gets closer.

Lebanon Trail is now gonna go to this contest

Yeah Lone Star for sure got a better time in prelims which really boosted them prelims. Wakeland got a better time being 2nd to last (performance time) in finals and they are on a whole new level, especially finals which helped them earn a judge’s sweep and an area championship. I do think that Lone Star and McKinney North will eventually reach the levels that Wakeland has been at since their results have been for sure getting better year over year.

Dude, the competition for that 4th spot is gonna be INSANE

This area is a bloodbath and with the same regions in this area this year, all signs point to it being a bloodbath again this year. There are legit 5, maybe even 6 bands that could make state finals from this area, but only 4 can make it. There will be many interesting storylines in this area this year. Northwest and Princeton are going up to 6A, Lake Dallas is going down to 4A, and Anna is moving up to 5A which means they will be joining this area. The top 6 scores last year were EXTREMELY close last year (Also I know that it's very late to ask lol but does anyone has the raw scores from this area competition last year? I've looked everywhere but can't find them lol, hopefully the UIL starts posting raw scores again this year) and I would imagine the same is gonna happen this year. Also bands like Emerson, Walnut Grove, and Memorial have been getting better and better and I'm very intrigued to see what things they could do this year. Also Lone Star beat Wakeland in prelims last year and if it would've rained more and finals getting canceled, Lone Star would've won area so I'm very interested to see if Lone Star can build on that momentum and potentially take the area crown away from Wakeland. Here would be my WAY too early predictions: 1. Wakeland (one of the best bands in the nation and could win state this year) 2. Lone Star (this band just keeps on getting better and better and always had one the funnest shows last year) 3-7. Argyle/Lebanon Trail/McKinney North/The Colony/Lovejoy Argyle has been one of the most impressive bands to come up from 4A over the past few years and were very close to making state after being 4th in prelims but then coming in a close 5th in finals. Their success in UIL competition has been very impressive with 8 state championships (currently the state record even though Cedar Park could tie with them this year if they win state again) and once their size gets bigger, they could potentially be a force to be reckoned with if they keep their momentum up. They will also be going to Grand Nationals for the 1st time ever so that'll very exciting for that program. McKinney North had one of the funnest shows last year which had them make state for the 1st time in a while. Many people were expecting them to move up to 6A for the next realignment but missed the cutoff by literally 2 students which makes them the biggest 5A school in the state with Aledo and Leander being around their size as well. If they have another amazing season this year, they will easily be in that mix to get into state and maybe even make state finals if they qualify for state. Lebanon Trail has always been very consistent in this area. They dodged a bullet last season with area finals potentially getting canceled which would've had them come up just short behind Argyle and miss state but area finals ended up happening which led to them getting a redemption from prelims and making state by passing up Argyle in finals for that final state spot which led to them making state finals and getting 12th. I'm very interested to see what Lebanon Trail does this season and if they can run it back to state. The Colony has been on the rise lately and had one their best seasons to date last season. They went from being 1 spot short of finals to a threat to make state all in the span of a year. Based their momentum lately, they could certainly make state which would be a huge accomplishment for that amazing band program. Lovejoy has always been a consistent area finalist and have been very to making state a few times. They had a rough end to their season last year with getting a 2 at region by a timing penalty which led to a very unplanned to the end of their season. I think Lovejoy is due for redemption year this year and if they have a great season like they had in 2022, they could easily be amongst the bands that could make state. 8-10. Memorial/Centennial/Emerson/Walnut Grove/Reedy/Independence/Liberty/Frisco (it could honestly be any of these bands)

Thank you so much

Hey I have a question. I changed my name (formerly BigBassBoi) and it reset my predictions. Will it still save my progress from the predictions I made before I changed the name?