BlaStoFf22

It's true that Keller was 2 away from finals, but their performance captions were by far their worst ones, with their GE captions higher. That's a total reversal from their usual profile. With UIL being more performance-based, I could definitely see them on the outside looking in.

Except for 1st place, this should be tight... 1-Coppell - duh 2-Timber Creek - They have really upped their game in terms of difficulty, and have so many moments in this show that POP! If they can clean it up they should be comfortably in 2nd. 3- Southlake Carroll - This may be the best design they've had, and just like Timber if they are clean they should advance. 4 - Bell/Keller/Haltom I think the fight for the last spot will be between these three historical programs. Bell may not have the design like last year, but this show is on their home turf, and you know they will be working hard to clean and refine before Area. LD Bell members know how to perform, and in finals it will come down to who has the show of the night. They can do it! Haltom advanced last year for the first time in a long time. They have exceptional teachers and can't be counted out! Their show this year is different for them, but REALLY cool! Look for them to be a dark horse to grab that last spot. In the last year, Keller has lost their legendary head director of nearly 30 years, the marching band director of the last 10 who helped turn them into a power program, their percussion teacher, their 3rd assistant, and their incredible trumpet teacher who also helped the marching band. That would be tough for any program. We'll see how they do at Duncanville this weekend, but their show and musical performance this year just doesn't seem to stack up with what they've done in the past, or the other state-competitive programs. They are probably the favorite among these three to advance, but we shall see.

This one is so hard to predict, but here we go: Finalists (Panel): Vandegrift (1) Marcus(1) TWHS (1) FloMo(1) Pearland(1) Cedar Park (2) Rouse (2) Vista Ridge (2) Hebron (2) Westlake (2) - more on them later Coppell (1-next 4) Reagan (1-next 4) Cedar Ridge (1-next 4) Bowie (1-next 4) Who Gets Left Out (among others) Round Rock (1) Waxahachie (2) Leander (2) CTJ (2) Keller (2) LD Bell (2) Southlake (2) MG Johnson (2) I think there are nine bands on Panel 1 that stand out as clear finalists. This is the most lopsided seeding we've ever seen at the Super Regional. It might just be luck of the draw, but it really puts the Panel 2 bands at a disadvantage. While it might seem unlikely for all four "next highest scores" to come from the same panel, I just can't see any of those groups being left out. Panel 2 is harder to predict, but even then, the first four bands I listed are almost guaranteed finalists. I chose Westlake as my last "top five" band in Panel 2 because their GE scores at BOA Waco were higher than anyone's except CR. Since GE is weighted so heavily, that gave them the edge for me. Plus, Westlake consistently marches and plays at a high level year in and year out. It was tough to leave Round Rock out of the finals because I think their show is solid and will continue to improve through the State Marching Band Contest. If they were in Panel 2, they’d have a strong case to make finals over Westlake. Leander and Southlake also have entertaining shows, but I don't see them overtaking Westlake for that last spot in Panel 2. CTJ has been middle of the pack at their two regionals, so I’m curious to see how much they’ve grown since then. If they’re hitting their stride, they could sneak into that final Panel 2 spot. Waxahachie plays incredibly well but is still trying to get their GE to match. Keller has been a finalist here every year since 2015, with one of the best brass sections in the country during that run. However, based on the videos I’ve seen, they don’t seem to have the same sound quality or difficulty in their wind writing as other finalists. Their guard has also had lower scores at their first two shows, which has historically been a major factor at BOASA. The same goes for LD Bell. While their guard is still fantastic, their show isn’t hitting the GE benchmarks like past productions. There’s potential for growth, but at this stage in the season, it may be tough for them to secure a finalist spot. There's a 100% chance that I'm wrong, but all of this is just for fun anyway. The only thing that is for sure is that there will be a lot of great performances by a lot of great bands!