2023 BOA Grand National Championships (Nov. 9-11)

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/22/2023 at 10:56 PM, Tubalord11 said:

Ik they aren't going to Nats this year, but there's a video of Tarpon's victory run from last night on YT, definitely recommend checking it out because my god if they were going this year, I could see them winning!

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Unfortunately they are not!

[itsstephenyo]

  On 10/23/2023 at 4:20 PM, JWork said:

I don't usually watch guard for marching band because I'm always so focused on the winds but, I specifically remember the Woodlands guard at San Antonio finals last year catching my eye. If a guard is able to draw your eyes toward them and off of a band such as The Woodlands, I'd definitely call that a win. I can easily say their guard was the cleanest and most engaging guard I've ever seen in a high school marching band. They know what they're doing and how to do it the best it can be done.

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The Woodlands also does such a great job of staging their guard during major features. Really puts that world class guard on stage and you can just see the Visual/GE points going up up up!

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/23/2023 at 6:20 PM, itsstephenyo said:

The Woodlands also does such a great job of staging their guard during major features. Really puts that world class guard on stage and you can just see the Visual/GE points going up up up!

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Avon and Carmel do the same thing. It’s nice to see some Texas groups doing the same as our guards continue to improve and SHINE!

[packwick]

  On 10/23/2023 at 6:20 PM, itsstephenyo said:

The Woodlands also does such a great job of staging their guard during major features. Really puts that world class guard on stage and you can just see the Visual/GE points going up up up!

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i mostly agree about the staging but they're def burying some of their most impressive tosses backfield this yr!! was just watching area from a diff angle, there's a front walkover that's quickly and cleanly performed backfield side 1 that i've NEVER noticed after multiple viewings of this performance lol. why is that not done at the end of the opener as part of a trick toss ripple front and center??? that's the perfect time to highlight the really impressive tosses i saw back in May!!! still haven't really seen most of em!!

[whitewing09]

Trying to choose the tickets I want for finals.

why is the 400 section $150 for tickets?! 

is it worth it or should I get a $50 ticket in the 600s?

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 10/26/2023 at 3:36 AM, whitewing09 said:

Trying to choose the tickets I want for finals.

why is the 400 section $150 for tickets?! 

is it worth it or should I get a $50 ticket in the 600s?

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The 400 sections are a much preferred sections over the 600, at least in most persons' eyes. It's way less that what you would pay for DCI finals seats in that section.

[packwick]

strange show from blue springs this yr, the narration is like "pre-birth" narration lol. becoming!!! points for originality fo sure. doesn't feel nearly as coherent as last year's program tho, just kinda all over the place musically and visually watching on high cam.

[Rubisco]

  On 10/27/2023 at 10:33 PM, packwick said:

strange show from blue springs this yr, the narration is like "pre-birth" narration lol. becoming!!! points for originality fo sure. doesn't feel nearly as coherent as last year's program tho, just kinda all over the place musically and visually watching on high cam.

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Yeah, agreed. Actually, I found the narration a bit cheesy in parts, like something lifted from a Hollywood movie trailer. Conceptually, however, it *is* quite fresh and interesting. It's rare that I see a show with a concept I haven't seen before! It's just that, for me, an interesting concept won't sustain a show, if the fundamental drill and music don't keep me engaged from moment to moment.

[Tubalord11]

Blue Springs looking to be mighty dangerous 👀

[crunchycookie3]

  On 10/29/2023 at 4:29 AM, Tubalord11 said:

Blue Springs looking to be mighty dangerous 👀

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I thought the same thing based on their STL score! I personally don’t connect super well to their show, and I think TWHS, Hebron, Avon, Mason, and Carmel will all have a thing or two to say. Who knows!! I’ve been wrong many times over, and their near-94 is very, very impressive.

[packwick]

  On 10/29/2023 at 4:29 AM, Tubalord11 said:

Blue Springs looking to be mighty dangerous 👀

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well if Mike Anderson is judging finals the champion will get a perfect 20 in VGE lol

[Rubisco]

  On 10/29/2023 at 4:51 AM, packwick said:

well if Mike Anderson is judging finals the champion will get a perfect 20 in VGE lol

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I think it's entirely possible he was impressed by the originality of the Blue Springs show, especially since the next strongest visual programs were rather recycled-looking Cartwright products -- at least I think they were Cartwright shows. (His style is becoming more and more imitated.)

Now, that said, personally I would not have scored Blue Springs a 19.1, but to each his own!

I'm more peeved Westwood didn't win music at St. Louis!

[Vidal28]

  On 10/29/2023 at 4:34 AM, crunchycookie3 said:

I thought the same thing based on their STL score! I personally don’t connect super well to their show, and I think TWHS, Hebron, Avon, Mason, and Carmel will all have a thing or two to say. Who knows!! I’ve been wrong many times over, and their near-94 is very, very impressive.

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Score compression and congestion will probably cause scores to stagnate for some groups going that went to St. Louis and SA this week and next. It happens all the time. Unless the top 4-5 break 95 or 96. Not much higher the scores can climb. That doesn’t meant they won’t have improved in the time between Grand Nats and now, would be hard not to!

[Rubisco]

It's UIL State week, so I'm focused on ordinals right now. It got me thinking, "How different would BOA Nationals results be if they used a UIL-style combined ordinal system?" Also, I was wondering how many 1st place rankings a typical National Champion receives. So, I calculated going back to 1990.

Of those 32 BOA National Championships, the champion would have been different on only 5 occasions. Avon would have won their 4th and 5th Eagles in 2011 (over Broken Arrow) and 2016 (over Carmel). LD Bell would have won their first in 2006 (over Broken Arrow), before earning their 2nd in a row in 2007. Kiski would have won instead of Marian Catholic in 1994. And Westfield would have won their first of two Eagles in 1990 (over PCEP). 

Ordinal sum ties occurred in 1995 (between Center Grove and Westfield) and in 1992 (between Centerville and Marian Catholic), but judges' preference would have kept the champions the same.

The title of most 1st place "votes" (going back to 1990) belongs to Plymouth Canton Educational Park in 1999, with 6 of the 7 judges placing them 1st. On six other occasions, 5 of the 7 judges placed the National Champion in 1st place: Carmel 2022, Broken Arrow 2021, Avon 2010, Marian Catholic 2000, Lassiter 1998, and Centerville 1992. Carmel 2012 and Lawrence Central 2004 won with only one 1st place vote.

Just some fun factoids.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/29/2023 at 5:28 AM, Rubisco said:

I'm more peeved Westwood didn't win music at St. Louis!

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As are a lot of us!!!

[quenslays]

Grand nats are next weekend so here are my predictions 

1.Carmel

2.The Woodlands

3.Hebron

4.Avon 

POINT GAP

5.William Mason

6.Blue Springs

7.Round Rock

8.Pearland

9.Brownsburg

POINT GAP

10.Keller/Dripping Springs/CTJ

11.Dripping Springs/Keller/CTJ

12.CTJ/Keller/Dripping Springs

—————

13.Bentonville

14.Fishers

15.James Bowie

9 through 13 could be mixed around a lot just depending on performance time and how well there run was on that day. This is just how I feel it will end up looking like.

[BaritoneBallah]

hot take, i see ctj sorta redeeming themselves here

[Tubalord11]

  On 10/31/2023 at 4:53 PM, urmom292 said:

Grand nats are next weekend so here are my predictions 

1.Carmel

2.The Woodlands

3.Hebron

4.Avon 

POINT GAP

5.William Mason

6.Blue Springs

7.Round Rock

8.Pearland

9.Brownsburg

POINT GAP

10.Keller/Dripping Springs/CTJ

11.Dripping Springs/Keller/CTJ

12.CTJ/Keller/Dripping Springs

—————

13.Bentonville

14.Fishers

15.James Bowie

9 through 13 could be mixed around a lot just depending on performance time and how well there run was on that day. This is just how I feel it will end up looking like.

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Seeing how Blue Springs did at St. Louis, I don't see them outside the top 5, they will definitely be over William Mason, otherwise solid predictions, though I wouldn't count out Fishers. 

  On 10/31/2023 at 7:10 PM, BaritoneBallah said:

hot take, i see ctj sorta redeeming themselves here

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I'd say it's less of a hot take and more of a very realistic possibility. CTJ was one out from state finals and were the second band to go, which really hurt them, but I think assuming they had a strong performance there's a good chance they would have been in over one of the other bands, not a guarantee but for sure a possibility 

[Tubalord11]

I'll do some changes and make my "final" list after San Antonio happens, but after 6A state, here's my current predictions. I do think that with Hebron taking the weekend off and taking the time to rehearse and clean is going to really benefit them, and yes, I'm biased and Really want them to win, but I'm thinking it will currently look something like this. Hebron swept content/design in both prelims and finals at state, which is a really good sign, and music was very good, just need to clean up visually which they have a good amount of time to do: 

 

1st. Hebron (music/GE) 

2nd. Carmel (visual) 

3rd. Avon 

4th. The Woodlands 

5th. Blue Springs 

6th. William Mason 

7th. Brownsburg 

8th. Pearland 

9th. Round Rock 

10th. CTJ 

11th. Fishers 

12th. Keller 

 

First few out: Dripping Springs, James Bowie, Bentonville 

 

I'd love for Dripping Springs to take that 11th spot over Fishers and could see it happening, will be very close but I'd say top 10 are pretty much locks assuming CTJ makes finals at San Antonio this weekend and cleans up, it's defiantly more of a Boa than UIL show so I think they will be just fine here, will be watching all of both Semis and Finals, very excited for next weekend! 

[Dave609]

  On 11/1/2023 at 5:02 AM, Tubalord11 said:

I'll do some changes and make my "final" list after San Antonio happens, but after 6A state, here's my current predictions. I do think that with Hebron taking the weekend off and taking the time to rehearse and clean is going to really benefit them, and yes, I'm biased and Really want them to win, but I'm thinking it will currently look something like this. Hebron swept content/design in both prelims and finals at state, which is a really good sign, and music was very good, just need to clean up visually which they have a good amount of time to do: 

 

1st. Hebron (music/GE) 

2nd. Carmel (visual) 

3rd. Avon 

4th. The Woodlands 

5th. Blue Springs 

6th. William Mason 

7th. Brownsburg 

8th. Pearland 

9th. Round Rock 

10th. CTJ 

11th. Fishers 

12th. Keller 

 

First few out: Dripping Springs, James Bowie, Bentonville 

 

I'd love for Dripping Springs to take that 11th spot over Fishers and could see it happening, will be very close but I'd say top 10 are pretty much locks assuming CTJ makes finals at San Antonio this weekend and cleans up, it's defiantly more of a Boa than UIL show so I think they will be just fine here, will be watching all of both Semis and Finals, very excited for next weekend! 

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I think Bentonville could make it into Finals, definitely will be a battle though between Dripping Springs, Keller, Bentonville, Bowie, and Fishers, and idk if Castle will be there, but they could probably be in contention to

[quenslays]

  On 11/1/2023 at 5:02 AM, Tubalord11 said:

I'll do some changes and make my "final" list after San Antonio happens, but after 6A state, here's my current predictions. I do think that with Hebron taking the weekend off and taking the time to rehearse and clean is going to really benefit them, and yes, I'm biased and Really want them to win, but I'm thinking it will currently look something like this. Hebron swept content/design in both prelims and finals at state, which is a really good sign, and music was very good, just need to clean up visually which they have a good amount of time to do: 

 

1st. Hebron (music/GE) 

2nd. Carmel (visual) 

3rd. Avon 

4th. The Woodlands 

5th. Blue Springs 

6th. William Mason 

7th. Brownsburg 

8th. Pearland 

9th. Round Rock 

10th. CTJ 

11th. Fishers 

12th. Keller 

 

First few out: Dripping Springs, James Bowie, Bentonville 

 

I'd love for Dripping Springs to take that 11th spot over Fishers and could see it happening, will be very close but I'd say top 10 are pretty much locks assuming CTJ makes finals at San Antonio this weekend and cleans up, it's defiantly more of a Boa than UIL show so I think they will be just fine here, will be watching all of both Semis and Finals, very excited for next weekend! 

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I think Dripping Springs will surprise everyone at grand nats and may be even make it into the top 10 but more likely they will be top 12.

[Tubalord11]

  On 11/1/2023 at 2:23 PM, urmom292 said:

I think Dripping Springs will surprise everyone at grand nats and may be even make it into the top 10 but more likely they will be top 12.

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It’s definitely very possible! They are doing really well in the boa comps, and of course were only 3 out of state finals, which is really impressive considering it’s only their second year as a 6A school, but of course I really hope they make it!

[bk_bobb]

  On 10/22/2023 at 10:56 PM, Tubalord11 said:

Ik they aren't going to Nats this year, but there's a video of Tarpon's victory run from last night on YT, definitely recommend checking it out because my god if they were going this year, I could see them winning! I feel like I'm watching a more recent BD show, guard is WOW, they march at such a high level, and it's a fun yet challenging and well executed music book! Seeing the BA kids freak out at the end made me a little emotional ngl. it's why the band community is the best, because no matter how good or bad your band did, the kids always seem to support one another. Hoping they are able to come into Nats next year with this incredible season and make some magic happen 

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I am OBSESSED with Tarpon Springs show this year!    Best to listen in surround sound or (rock out) in a car with nice speakers    

the show design, the music, and good grief the level of execution!!    All truly another level.   
 

 

[ChristopherRoden]

Current predictions:
1. Hebron 

2. TWHS

3. Avon

4. Carmel

5. Blue Springs

6. Pearland

7. Mason

8. CTJ

9. Round Rock

10. Keller

11. Dripping Springs 

12. Bowie

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13. Bentonville

14. Fishers

 

 

[Hard Core Band Fan]

  On 11/3/2023 at 4:05 PM, ChristopherRoden said:

Current predictions:
1. Hebron 

2. TWHS

3. Avon

4. Carmel

5. Blue Springs

6. Pearland

7. Mason

8. CTJ

9. Round Rock

10. Keller

11. Dripping Springs 

12. Bowie

--------

13. Bentonville

14. Fishers

 

 

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Don't forget Brownsburg!