Best School Comebacks/Things that you didn't expect

[cheeto2401]

Mine is when Rouse beat Vandegrift this year at BOA Austin, my school was an exhibition, and we were right next to them, they were so happy when the announcer said "Break!"

[bancl]

Keller coming back from early season disappointment to make finals at 6A State and BOA GN.  I know that it's been well documented on this forum that they always seem to pull through at the end of the season when it counts, but I thought for sure this would be the year that they missed finals at the end.  I'm not sure how they always seem to keep getting better until the last day, but they do.

[LeanderMomma]

I’m partial to the Leander comeback at BOA San Antonio and making finals, placing 10th overall, just a hair behind Cedar Park!  😍😍

[utee94]

  On 11/22/2023 at 3:28 PM, LeanderMomma said:

I’m partial to the Leander comeback at BOA San Antonio and making finals, placing 10th overall, just a hair behind Cedar Park!  😍😍

Expand  

And I'm partial to Cedar Park coming back, after an entire marching season of finishing behind Rouse, and beating them at State for the Gold. 🤩

[takigan]

The Woodlands losing most of their August rehearsals and still managing to do as well as they did.  

[lost]

Round Rock surprised a few when they came back and made both San Antonio and national finals in 2019 after missing early season in Austin.

An incredible recovery given many people counted them out early after that.

To this day I think they were always capable, just a  dirty run and an undeveloped show in prelims on the morning of Austin. 

They would have been in finals in Austin today given the expansion to 12 bands.

[J-Mike16]

  On 12/28/2023 at 5:46 AM, lost said:

Round Rock surprised a few when they came back and made both San Antonio and national finals in 2019 after missing early season in Austin.

Expand  

I remember when Round Rock didn't make BOA Austin Finals that year. People automatically started writing them off of National Finals. So happy that RR proved everyone wrong!

[LeanderMomma]

  On 12/28/2023 at 5:46 AM, lost said:

Round Rock surprised a few when they came back and made both San Antonio and national finals in 2019 after missing early season in Austin.

An incredible recovery given many people counted them out early after that.

To this day I think they were always capable, just a  dirty run and an undeveloped show in prelims on the morning of Austin. 

They would have been in finals in Austin today given the expansion to 12 bands.

Expand  

I remember that so well!  I had left the Alamodome as soon as prelims ended so I could jump back in line for finals and grab a good seat. I’ll never forget seeing the Round Rock band kids running out of the stadium in the doors beside where I was standing, and they were absolutely and literally jumping in the air for joy!  It was powerful to see how ecstatic they were and everyone around me was as touched and moved as I was by the pure emotion of it all. I definitely cried a little bit watching that!  So happy for those kids. ♥️♥️

[quenslays]

I would have to say Dripping Springs making a huge comeback from their past few seasons to now. This has been their best season to date. 

[lost]

  On 12/31/2023 at 4:19 PM, urmom292 said:

I would have to say Dripping Springs making a huge comeback from their past few seasons to now. This has been their best season to date. 

Expand  

I think 2017 is a close second. Winning prelims and almost dethroning Cedar Park was exciting to watch.

This was definitely their best season though. I almost wish they’d held out on going to grand nationals, if they’d given it a few years they would’ve easily made it in.

[quenslays]

  On 1/1/2024 at 7:21 PM, lost said:

I think 2017 is a close second. Winning prelims and almost dethroning Cedar Park was exciting to watch.

This was definitely their best season though. I almost wish they’d held out on going to grand nationals, if they’d given it a few years they would’ve easily made it in.

Expand  

I think we will see them back at grand nats in a few years.

[TrenBS]

More local to me and on a smaller scale, but McKinney High making area finals after not making since 2016, and even with that successful early season in 2021 with losing a decent bit of their staff and a huge senior class in 2022 and still coming back strong to make area finals this year, they pretty much had everything going against them and they still managed to make it and I respect the heck out of them for it

[J-Mike16]

This is going to be more personal but when Lumberton made 5A State back in 2017 was a huge comeback. Last time Lumberton advanced was all the way back in 1980 where they placed 7th/25 at 4A State (Top 5 Advanced to Finals). Between 1980 and 2017, Lumberton was very consistent at region but always failed to advance from Area to State, though placed State Alternate or the next spot out quite a bit. It really wasn't until the horrible tragedy of 2016 & 2017 that occurred, when Lumberton started getting that traction to advance. In 2016, we had a band parent steal and use over $70,000 from us. It was a complete slap to our face however being the Mighty Raider Band from Lumberton, we did not stop. We used that setback to fuel us for the remainder of the year plus the years to come. We all know what happened in August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey. Like many cities and towns in SETX, over half of the town lost everything (I believe at least 1/4th, maybe even 1/2 of the band had lost everything) however that again, did not stop us. We continued all season long til Area where we placed 3rd/38 in Prelims, then 5th/10 in Finals, (Top 7 went to State that year in Area E). I cannot tell yall how ecstatic we were on our advancement to State. Even though we would eventually place 30th/35, it was still an incredible achievement to have finally been a state ranked band. Fast forward 7 years, and Lumberton has advanced to State every eligible year yet. I will forever always remember those moments in the program that truly made us the Mighty Raider Band from tiny SETX Town, Lumberton. 

[MilBandDude]

For me, it was Marcus High School's 2021 State UIL Finals entitled The Missing Piece. I was lucky enough to be working that day shooting close video. I knew they were 8th after preliminaries and did not expect much. Since I was doing close video, I was able to see their faces pretty well, and you could tell they had just decided to go all in that evening. It was going to be a train wreck or something special, and they delivered. The faces of those 2 Mellophone soloists at the end have always stuck in my mind of what all band members at every school at every level put into the programs every year. The best Bronze Medal performance I have ever witnessed.

Fixed the Link

2021 Marcus Band UIL Finals Performance

[clarinetistkai05]

Forney making state finals in 2021 after not advancing to finales for over a decade. Still glad I was a part of that. We went from 8th in finals at 2021 to 4th place in just two years. 

Edited February 5, 2024 by clarinetistkai05
I cannot grammar

[JFNDOWBFAN]

  On 1/13/2024 at 2:17 PM, TrenBS said:

More local to me and on a smaller scale, but McKinney High making area finals after not making since 2016, and even with that successful early season in 2021 with losing a decent bit of their staff and a huge senior class in 2022 and still coming back strong to make area finals this year, they pretty much had everything going against them and they still managed to make it and I respect the heck out of them for it

Expand  

They had a great show for sure!

[JFNDOWBFAN]

  On 2/3/2024 at 1:38 AM, clarinetistkai05 said:

Forney making state finals in 2021 after not advancing to finales for over a decade. Still glad I was a part of that. We went from 8th in finals at 2021 to 4th place in just two years. 

Expand  

I expect big things from Forney in 6C this year. Welcome to the newcomers. Excited to see a preview at the Rockwall game this year. Come to think of it, not sure if the game is before or after Region and Area. 

[clarinetistkai05]

  On 9/3/2024 at 2:55 AM, JFNDOWBFAN said:

I expect big things from Forney in 6C this year. Welcome to the newcomers. Excited to see a preview at the Rockwall game this year. Come to think of it, not sure if the game is before or after Region and Area. 

Expand  

I’m not so sure, since I’ve graduated and now I’m at college. I’m cheering for these kids though, they are / will forever be a huge part of my life.

[ATSSBoT]

  On 1/30/2024 at 6:39 AM, MilBandDude said:

For me, it was Marcus High School's 2021 State UIL Finals entitled The Missing Piece. I was lucky enough to be working that day shooting close video. I knew they were 8th after preliminaries and did not expect much. Since I was doing close video, I was able to see their faces pretty well, and you could tell they had just decided to go all in that evening. It was going to be a train wreck or something special, and they delivered. The faces of those 2 Mellophone soloists at the end have always stuck in my mind of what all band members at every school at every level put into the programs every year. The best Bronze Medal performance I have ever witnessed.

Fixed the Link

2021 Marcus Band UIL Finals Performance

Expand  

Wow, had no clue Marcus was able to jump from 7th to 3rd.. that’s crazy

[clarinetistkai05]

  On 9/3/2024 at 9:37 PM, ATSSBoT said:

Wow, had no clue Marcus was able to jump from 7th to 3rd.. that’s crazy

Expand  

Marcus is truthfully incredible, I saw their show last year at Super Regionals and their ballad had me tearing up. I am so blown away by them everytime I see them 😭