moose_eggs

My opinions: Marcus plays extremely well. This helps them not only in music, but in GE. CTJ, SFA, TWHS, LDBell all had more difficult and engaging visual packages. Would have easily given this caption to Bell. but they were just not as clean. Clean is counting more and more these days as more bands are achieving at a very high level. It is impossible to get into finals with show design only and that didn't really used to be the case.

Not really. Bell beat Marcus by 2.8 points and swept all caption in prelims and finals at the Arlington Regional in 2010, which was the same weekend as the houston regional this weekend. Then Marcus beat LD Bell at BOA San Antonio that same year. So Im not sure I would call it huge.

What a great regional! Hebron- This show very reminiscent of old Churchill shows. The colorguard in superhero like uniforms and the props and tarps....very churchill, which is no surprise because of Mike Sloans involvement with Hebron.This show has the potential to be AWESOME. right now, it is very confusing, a jumble of ideas. The manequins look great, and everything about the bands opening set and presence is cool. Then they start to play, and the music doesn't even begin to fit with the look and vibe they have presented. Very strange. You can tell there are some identity struggles going on with this team. This band is TOO GOOD to place 10th. I hope they fix the show. Legacy - LOVED IT. This show is desgined very well and it is very obvious that the students like performing this one. I can tell the direction they are headed and im looking forward to it. BUT, it is dirty, and it wont reach the full potential that it has if it doesn't clean up! Im sure it will though, and I am predicting a big finish for these guys at BOA San Antonio (wait, are they even going?). Great show, great energy, play and march better please. You have the keys to the ferrari. Don't crash it! LD Bell - This show is very sinister, and I love bell when they are like that. The colorguard looks AWESOME, and rumor has it there is more to come. Hardest show from a marching and playing standpoint from them in years, since maybe 03 or 05. That kind of demand mixed with the typical LDBell drama and energy is a ticket to success. It almost seems like they are doing a hard show this year on purpose in order to train the band for a CRAZY show when they go back to nats. The drill is some of the hardest I have seen from a high school in texas, But, until its cleaner it wont help much. Super clean in San Antonio, and they have it. If they cant sound like marcus or bowie while running all over the field, then they don't. James Bowie - Bowie is giving Marcus a run for their money as the amazing sounding cutesy show doing classical music playing band. Marcus was not at the regional, but they were, they were......These guys can play and play LOUD. the woodwinds alone were louder than entire band of some other schools. The music is slightly harder than ldbells, but it sounds like its way easier. There is a little left to desire from a visual design and demand standpoint, but I honetly dont care when they sound THAT GOOD. Absolutley inspiring performance, and very very emotional. Bruce dinkins is a very proud soul right now. Seeing the thing that you made awesome be even more awesome must be a great feeling. CONGRATS to this band. They didn't beat bell in an off year or a year that bell isnt going to nats or blah blah whatever.....they BEAT BELL because they are that good....period. More to come! moose

Marcus and Bell were first and 2nd in 2006. In 2004 Bell was state champion and marcus wasn't in state finals. Marcus started being really good in 2004-2005 ish. Before that they were an ok band with and amazing drumline. Bell has been really good since 1999-2000 ish. They have been a top competitor in the state of Texas and the country since then. Both of these schools are old schools. The area around them is completely developed already and especially in bells case, there is no chance of another school opening up in that school district. They are completely surrounded by concrete. We have seen the rise and fall of many schools (reagan, Hebron, Fossil Ridge, etc....) that have been suddenly very good, but then knocked out of the race by a new school opening (not yet in hebrons case, but soon im predicting a new school out there soon). Bell and Marcus ( and Spring and Westfield and Duncanville..) etc. have been good (for the most part) forever because the area around them is already developed. My 2 cents

LD Bell and Tarpon Springs had the most difficult shows at grand nationals, all things considered. I feel like Bell could have won if it was a different panel, and Tarpon could have won if they just had one more week to clean. There show was over the top!

Congrats to the Marcus band for an unbelievably three peat! Making History! Congrats to the Bell band for not being out of the top two at state for twelve years now! Congrats to bands in DFW for having the gold, silver, and bronze medal since 2006!

It will be Bell Marcus Hebron Richland In that order