2020 Texas Sized Pre-season Power Rankings

[vbassoon]

This quarantine has given me a lot of time on my hands so my boredom crafted a quite extensive/unbiased list of what I think are the best current marching bands in Texas.  Full disclaimer that this list is fully opinionated and not official at all; I just simply wanted to stir up some discussion during these boring times. Plus power rankings are kinda cool. That being said, I compiled this list using results from every marching contest I could find from the past relevant years (BOA, UIL, USBands, Texas Marching Classic, etc.) so this is not a "best BOA bands" or "best UIL bands" list; just straight up best marching bands list. If you guys want to give your two cents on the list or suggest your own modification, please feel free too; I would like to know what the consensus is on this. Again, as I was making this list I realized how volatile placements can be throughout a season; no ordinal/placement/ranking will ever decide how great a marching band is; there are so many variables that factor into every single performance; I love and respect every single band on and not on this list simply for my respect of the craft. Hope you guys enjoy.

The top 9 are what I  consider to be the current "powerhouse" bands. 

I will be updating this weekly once the season commences. 

..rip

 

1. Ronald Reagan

2. Vandegrift

3. Hebron

4. Vista Ridge

5. Leander

6. Claudia Taylor Johnson

7. Marcus

8. Flower Mound

9. The Woodlands

10. L.D. Bell

11. James Bowie

12. Keller

13. Round Rock

14. Haltom

15. Pearland

16. Cedar Ridge

17. Westwood

18. Coppell

19. Westlake

20. Cedar Park

21. Wylie

22. Waxahachie

23. Prosper

24. Stephen F. Austin

25. South Lake Carroll

26. Lake Travis

27. Highland Park

28. Wakeland

29. Oak Ridge

30. Rouse

31. Winston Churchill

32. James Martin

33. Brazoswood

34. Clear Brook

35. Dawson

36. Hendrickson

37. Bridgeland

38. Cy-Fair

39. North Shore

40. Seven Lakes

41. Burleson Centennial

42. Brandeis

Next 10 in Alphabetical Order

Clements

Friendswood

James E. Taylor

John B. Alexander

Keller Central

Klein Oak

Obra D. Tompkins

Stevens

Weiss

Wylie East

 

ver. 1.01

[JeremiahW]

  On 5/24/2020 at 7:51 AM, vbassoon said:

Full disclaimer that this list is fully opinionated and not official at all

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same

[LeanderMomma]

I think we will see the Johnson HS band (Buda) rising quickly. 
 

How about Dripping Springs? 

[vbassoon]

  On 5/24/2020 at 1:10 PM, LeanderMomma said:

I think we will see the Johnson HS band (Buda) rising quickly. 
 

How about Dripping Springs? 

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Johnson HS (Buda) is definitely rising ranks after beating out plenty of bigger bands at last season’s Austin regional. 

Dripping Springs came really close to being in my “next 10”, but recent placements at the 5A SMC have plagued that.

[Guest]

  On 5/24/2020 at 2:31 PM, vbassoon said:

Johnson HS (Buda) is definitely rising ranks after beating out plenty of bigger bands at last season’s Austin regional. 

Dripping Springs came really close to being in my “next 10”, but recent placements at the 5A SMC have plagued that.

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Here's a potential "next ten" to your next ten just for giggles:

Aledo

Bridgeland

Colleyville Heritage

Del Rio

Dripping Springs

Klein Collins

Lebanon Trail

McCallum

Timber Creek

Westfield 

 

[vbassoon]

  On 5/24/2020 at 4:27 PM, Cityscapes said:

Here's a potential "next ten" to your next ten just for giggles:

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Awesome! Though here is where one might see Roma ranked as well. Would have loved to see how they placed at state. Finals seemed very possible this year (school year) for them.

[Guest]

  On 5/24/2020 at 6:34 PM, vbassoon said:

Awesome! Though here is where one might see Roma ranked as well. Would have loved to see how they placed at state. Finals seemed very possible this year (school year) for them.

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Thats true! I was very impressed with them at BOASA. I guess I would have them in over Westfield, knowing very well Westfield could be back in the top 30 very soon.

[MadisonBandMan1]

I know Madison hasn’t exactly been consistent, but given our new HBD I have sneaking feeling that is going to change very soon. They may not be in the next ten or higher this year, but I think that will change either next year or two or three years down the road. The Madison Band is going places now. Last year was just a really tough year. 

[Guest]

  On 5/26/2020 at 4:44 PM, MadisonBandMan1 said:

I know Madison hasn’t exactly been consistent, but given our new HBD I have sneaking feeling that is going to change very soon. They may not be in the next ten or higher this year, but I think that will change either next year or two or three years down the road. The Madison Band is going places now. Last year was just a really tough year. 

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I wanna see them succeed so bad. Partially bc Wesley Perkins is a great guy. I can see them doing great things. 

[MadisonBandMan1]

Yeah. I think they will. There is a really great leadership team set for next year and the band is still growing both in size and talent. Numbers are already over 350 for this year and that’s really great. This will be Mr. Perkins first true show that he had the time and ability to design and polish, so I know that it will be a million times better than last year, and I know that he’s well known for consistency. I also know he happens to be an amazing motivational speaker and his speeches are amazing. I am confident to say that I know that the Madison band is under great hands. Not to mention the great percussion instructor we have and the color guard instructor who isn’t a literal founding father of a  winter guard circuit  in Texas and always designs amazing shows. 

The Madison Band will be stronger than ever this coming season. I can feel it. 

[vbassoon]

That’s great to hear! As a San Antonian, I would love to see more bands break out and become noticed. Some pretty crazy things can happen from one year to the next.

[lost]

looks good id give a slight edge to westlake slightly ahead of coppell and wylie ahead of cedar park

22-26 are all really close together could go a lot of ways depending on a lot in there

 this is still very accurate and well done though

[SpartanBandAlum]

Not to say that we belong anywhere near this list yet (because we definitely don’t), but Porter beat both Klein Oak and Collins last year.

[abtwitch]

I'm curious as to why Bridgeland isn't in the top 30, they beat Oak Ridge by 2 points at Cypress Showcase.

[vbassoon]

  On 5/26/2020 at 10:04 PM, lost said:

looks good id give a slight edge to westlake slightly ahead of coppell and wylie ahead of cedar park

22-26 are all really close together could go a lot of ways depending on a lot in there

 this is still very accurate and well done though

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Thanks!

And yeah I guess my thought process was giving bands with more accolades this year a slight edge against those who’s main spotlight score was BOA SA; in this instance, Coppell’s 6th place finish at the St. Louis Super Regional and Cedar Park’s 5A State Championship. Not to say that BOA SA is not a good indicator of band’s abilities, but it’s just one contest. 

[vbassoon]

  On 5/26/2020 at 10:28 PM, abtwitch said:

I'm curious as to why Bridgeland isn't in the top 30, they beat Oak Ridge by 2 points at Cypress Showcase.

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Completely flew past me. ?Thanks for the heads up! I will try to rank them as accurately as possible.

[abtwitch]

  On 5/26/2020 at 11:04 PM, vbassoon said:

Completely flew past me. ?Thanks for the heads up! I will try to rank them as accurately as possible.

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All good, there's A LOT of contests to keep track of

[Guest]

  On 5/26/2020 at 11:04 PM, vbassoon said:

Completely flew past me. ?Thanks for the heads up! I will try to rank them as accurately as possible.

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Gonna be very cool to see them this season! They remind me ALOT of early 2010s Cedar Ridge

[skizzboi]

B Centennial, Aledo, and Colleyville Heritage have all beat out Southlake Carroll...

[vbassoon]

  On 6/5/2020 at 6:43 AM, skizzboi said:

B Centennial, Aledo, and Colleyville Heritage have all beat out Southlake Carroll...

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True, but they did beat out Lake Travis who got 7th at the most competitive BOA regional. 

[skizzboi]

  On 6/5/2020 at 6:58 AM, vbassoon said:

True, but they also beat out Lake Travis who got 7th at the most competitive BOA regional. 

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The margin between B Centennial/Cville was huge though 13 pt difference

[skizzboi]

  On 6/5/2020 at 6:58 AM, vbassoon said:

True, but they also beat out Lake Travis who got 7th at the most competitive BOA regional. 

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highland park would also blow southlake out of any competition

[DFWSpinz]

Haha.  Someone is very anti-Carroll.  

 

[zoomer]

  On 6/5/2020 at 6:43 AM, skizzboi said:

B Centennial, Aledo, and Colleyville Heritage have all beat out Southlake Carroll...

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You forget St Louis results exist, as well as Aledo dropping to 6th at the Waco regional, BCent falling below Lake Travis at San Antonio, and Colleyville Heritage missing state finals. So I would agree with having Carroll above the three. It's a power ranking based on the end of the season, not early season results.

[AlsoIntoSpace]

Speaking as a Carroll student, we definitely peaked at the end of the season (St. Louis for us). I won't bother making arguments about judge quality/bias or inaccurate placements, but nonetheless one or two early/mid season local contests doesn't establish a program as being unquestionably superior to another. That said, even though I agree with the rankings, it doesn't mean that a lower-ranked program didn't have a great season with their own successes.