UIL 6A Area B 2023

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/1/2023 at 7:03 PM, BandNerd07 said:

So I just wanted to give some recognition to James Bowie and Grand Prairie. Obviously no one really talks about them because they are both small bands and have gotten 2's in recent years, but after watching them, I think they are good for their size. While visually, both of them are kind of a mess, musically they are actually clean. In fact, they are probably cleaner than some bands that have advanced in the past. Although they will probably not get that far, I think they are both on track to getting 1st division and advance to area, which means more bands, and more opportunity for the higher bands to advance to state. Here's a livestream of their game. Bowie performs at around 2:11:00 and Grand Prairie performs at around 2:22:00. 

 

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See? This is proof that everything I am saying is true, Bowie got straight 1's today. Grand Prairie performs later this evening, so I'll post an update after their performance.

[BandNerd07]

Well, 2 bands as of now (Crowley and Bowie) made 1's at Region this year and they didn't last year. I'm just hoping Cedar Hill and Lamar qualify to better our chances of advancing 7 bands to state.

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/10/2023 at 11:38 PM, BandNerd07 said:

See? This is proof that everything I am saying is true, Bowie got straight 1's today. Grand Prairie performs later this evening, so I'll post an update after their performance.

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As if things couldn't get any more true, Grand Prairie made 1's as well.

[Jacob2017]

  On 10/11/2023 at 12:52 AM, BandNerd07 said:

As if things couldn't get any more true, Grand Prairie made 1's as well.

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Lamar ended up getting 2 1 2, so that's down them and Sam Houston.

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 1:18 AM, Jacob2017 said:

Lamar ended up getting 2 1 2, so that's down them and Sam Houston.

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Yup, that makes 2 bands in this area that failed to get 1'sat region. That means if 2 or more bands fail to get 1's then we'll only see 6 bands advance to state. Man, this is really coming down to the wire and it's only the first day of region contests...

[randomguardkid07]

anyone have full results for this region yet? who all has gone so far? the uil websites are borderline impossible to navigate on my phone, lol.

[Jacob2017]

So far, all of region 5, which is the Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Mansfield 6A schools, and every group but Lamar and Sam Houston have gotten 1's, while Cedar Hill hasn't had their results posted yet.

[BandNerd07]

So as of now, we have 14 bands qualify for area, 9 of which are from Region 5 (until Cedar Hill posts their results) and the other 5 from Region 30.

Arlington

Boswell

Bowie

Chisholm Trail

Crowley

Grand Prairie

Lake Ridge

Legacy

Mansfield

Martin

North Crowley

Paschal

South Grand Prairie

Weatherford

 

[Vidal28]

Better than normal showing from Region 5, the possibility of 7 state bands at Area B is the best it has ever been, we’ll see if the other regions can maintain and not slip up!!

[randomguardkid07]

who are y’all’s locks for state? i know they were said earlier in the thread, but things have definitely changed since then….

[BandNerd07]

For me, it's Coppell, Waxahachie, and Timber Creek. It was originally Keller, but I did noticed that they started to slip at HEB. I might add Keller back to this after seeing the results of BOA Prosper.

[randomguardkid07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 2:49 AM, BandNerd07 said:

For me, it's Coppell, Waxahachie, and Timber Creek. It was originally Keller, but I did noticed that they started to slip at HEB. I might add Keller back to this after seeing the results of BOA Prosper.

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i agree! i would argue that duncanville could slip in there somewhere, but admittedly i haven’t seen their full show this year haha. if it’s anything like the past few years, i could definitely see them being a lock.

 

i know this is just for finals, but i honestly think finals won’t be as predictable this year. the past two years have shown a common trend in which schools advance to finals, as this is arguably one of the most stacked areas, but i could definitely see a few shocks this season! super excited to see how this plays out.

[Tubalord11]

  On 10/11/2023 at 2:47 AM, randomguardkid07 said:

who are y’all’s locks for state? i know they were said earlier in the thread, but things have definitely changed since then….

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Right now my locks would be Keller, TC, and Coppell. It's hard to know where to put Duncanville right now, but after Prosper we should have a solid idea of where to put them. Here's what I'm thinking right now:

Top Half (state): Coppell, Keller, TC, Bell, SLC, Waxahachie 

Bottom Half: KC, D-Ville, Lake Ridge, Berkner, Lake Highlands, Haltom/Highland park? 

it's looking to very much look like area last year, although I don't see James Martin making it, but other than that, and maybe Berkner not making it (they are really good again this year) I don't see it being much different than last year. 

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 2:56 AM, randomguardkid07 said:

i agree! i would argue that duncanville could slip in there somewhere, but admittedly i haven’t seen their full show this year haha. if it’s anything like the past few years, i could definitely see them being a lock.

 

i know this is just for finals, but i honestly think finals won’t be as predictable this year. the past two years have shown a common trend in which schools advance to finals, as this is arguably one of the most stacked areas, but i could definitely see a few shocks this season! super excited to see how this plays out.

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And also, let's not forget to mention Bell. I haven't seen the whole show yet, but from a clip that I saw, they are having one of their best seasons yet. And they're also getting stronger musically compared to in the past. If anything they might also be a lock for state.

[josephbandfan]

  On 10/11/2023 at 2:49 AM, BandNerd07 said:

For me, it's Coppell, Waxahachie, and Timber Creek. It was originally Keller, but I did noticed that they started to slip at HEB. I might add Keller back to this after seeing the results of BOA Prosper.

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Keller also placed 4th at HEB last year and 5th in 2021. Each time they advanced and made state finals 🤷‍♂️. I might be wrong but I think they even had better ordinals at HEB this year than previous 

[randomguardkid07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 3:01 AM, Tubalord11 said:

Right now my locks would be Keller, TC, and Coppell. It's hard to know where to put Duncanville right now, but after Prosper we should have a solid idea of where to put them. Here's what I'm thinking right now:

Top Half (state): Coppell, Keller, TC, Bell, SLC, Waxahachie 

Bottom Half: KC, D-Ville, Lake Ridge, Berkner, Lake Highlands, Haltom/Highland park? 

it's looking to very much look like area last year, although I don't see James Martin making it, but other than that, and maybe Berkner not making it (they are really good again this year) I don't see it being much different than last year. 

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imo lake ridge’s show is weaker than it has been in the past few years…they are definitely very skilled and im not saying they’re going to get knocked out of finals but i am keeping that in mind when i make my predictions.

 

btw, does anyone have a video of haltom’s show? i can’t seem to find one.

 

i love this time of year lol i love area. very excited to see everyone perform next saturday!

[BandNerd07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 3:01 AM, Tubalord11 said:

Right now my locks would be Keller, TC, and Coppell. It's hard to know where to put Duncanville right now, but after Prosper we should have a solid idea of where to put them. Here's what I'm thinking right now:

Top Half (state): Coppell, Keller, TC, Bell, SLC, Waxahachie 

Bottom Half: KC, D-Ville, Lake Ridge, Berkner, Lake Highlands, Haltom/Highland park? 

it's looking to very much look like area last year, although I don't see James Martin making it, but other than that, and maybe Berkner not making it (they are really good again this year) I don't see it being much different than last year. 

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Yeah, looks like a solid list, but there are a few other contenders for area finalists this year such as Boswell and Fossil Ridge. Both are extremely underrated and they also bad significant progress since HEB. And here's just a flashback from last year, do y'all remember how everyone predicted that Haltom and Highland Park would be area finalists, but they weren't and instead James Martin and Berkner were? While I still think Berkner can make area finals, I also agree that James Martin probably won't.

[josephbandfan]

  On 10/11/2023 at 3:07 AM, randomguardkid07 said:

 

imo lake ridge’s show is weaker than it has been in the past few years…they are definitely very skilled and im not saying they’re going to get knocked out of finals but i am keeping that in mind when i make my predictions.

 

btw, does anyone have a video of haltom’s show? i can’t seem to find one.

 

i love this time of year lol i love area. very excited to see everyone perform next saturday!

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There’s a football livestream between Haltom and Byron Nelson from a few days ago 

[randomguardkid07]

i think my top 20 is this for now (will def change after this weekends competitions!)

1. coppell

2. timber creek

3. keller

4. waxahachie

5. duncanville (could switch with waxahachie depending)

6.  SLC

7.  bell

8. keller central

9. lake highlands 

10. berkner

11. highland park

12. lake ridge

13. haltom

14. fossil ridge

15. boswell 

16. mansfield 

17. trinity

18. martin

19. legacy

20. chisholm trail

 

[randomguardkid07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 3:16 AM, randomguardkid07 said:

i think my top 20 is this for now (will def change after this weekends competitions!)

1. coppell

2. timber creek

3. keller

4. waxahachie

5. duncanville (could switch with waxahachie depending)

6.  SLC

7.  bell

8. keller central

9. lake highlands 

10. berkner

11. highland park

12. lake ridge

13. haltom

14. fossil ridge

15. boswell 

16. mansfield 

17. trinity

18. martin

19. legacy

20. chisholm trail

 

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pls ignore the edit i fudged that list BAD its been a long day lol. also keep in mind that i am a guard kid that didn’t know much about the details of marching band until this year don’t be too hard on me 😖

[Origin]

  On 10/11/2023 at 2:49 AM, BandNerd07 said:

For me, it's Coppell, Waxahachie, and Timber Creek. It was originally Keller, but I did noticed that they started to slip at HEB. I might add Keller back to this after seeing the results of BOA Prosper.

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I don’t know that Keller’s highest score at HEB since 2019 can be considered a slip…but anyway, I think there’s a good chance that the top 8 from last year is the same this year, with Coppell, Keller, and Waxahachie being the safest locks based on consistency in the past. It’s gonna come down to who can have a clean, full show, especially since it’s a week earlier in the season. Performance time could play a role with how competitive this area is. I’m pulling for Timber, Bell, and Central if 6 advance. But I also really like Carroll’s show. Haven’t seen Duncanville at all.

[randomguardkid07]

  On 10/11/2023 at 3:19 AM, Origin said:

I don’t know that Keller’s highest score at HEB since 2019 can be considered a slip…but anyway, I think there’s a good chance that the top 8 from last year is the same this year, with Coppell, Keller, and Waxahachie being the safest locks based on consistency in the past. It’s gonna come down to who can have a clean, full show, especially since it’s a week earlier in the season. Performance time could play a role with how competitive this area is. I’m pulling for Timber, Bell, and Central if 6 advance. But I also really like Carroll’s show. Haven’t seen Duncanville at all.

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carroll’s show is SOOOOO GOOOD oh my goodness i love it so much. maybe im just a sucker for pretty shows but it’s very up my alley haha

[LostChoirGuy]

I feel like Keller's final product is going to be stronger than it has been the past two years based on what I've seen so far and the potential for the show.  I hope they make the theme and visual program a bit more immersive, though.  That said, I'm a bit worried about Area this year, as it will be several weeks before the end of Keller's season and they tend to make huge progress in their final week or two (and I think they do that on purpose).  I have trouble seeing six bands beating them out for state spots though.  I'd guess they land somewhere in the 3-5 range.  Hopefully they can keep their streak of state finals appearances too but I'm worried about that.

[BandFanForever]

Hey! Fossil Ridge mama here (and former Berkner guard member myself). I love marching band, and I think all the shows this year have amazing things to offer. I'm constantly impressed by all these kids and their efforts! My faves so far have been Keller and LD Bell, but I haven't gotten to see too many.

I know Ridge is not usually in the convo about area finals, but I wanted to give you guys some little-known behind the scenes insight into what they face. 

They are Keller ISD, but they are technically in Ft. Worth. Over half the student body is low income. The entire feeder pattern is Title 1. This is why, even with band fees that are 1/3 of the other bands in the area, they are so small... it's hard to get enough kids that can afford to participate. And they certainly don't have the luxury of choosing which kids to put on the field. 

The boosters fundraise the best they can, but as an outlier to Keller, they don't get much community support. Their fundraising is to help scholarship kids so they can participate and feed them at games and comps and help pay limited support staff. They don't have a bunch of money to spend on new uniforms or extravagant props, and their equipment is ancient and sketchy. They don't even take props to games because the money that would be used for a prop truck is needed to help the kids. To top it all off, they have to compete against some of the top (and wealthiest and biggest) bands in the state, including 3 others in their own district. They don't ever travel to BOA San Antonio or anywhere else the rest of the Keller ISD bands go because they don't have the money. They are always the underdog. But here are the good things:

They have one of the most diverse programs in the state, and they are a united family. So cool! They work so dang hard despite the odds and always cheer on other schools... especially in their district... even though they are the black sheep. Ha! They keep improving and clawing forward even when it looks impossible. Their snare line has three girls... including their center snare... which is so unusual and cool to all of us ladies. 

Every success... big or small (like making finals at BOA Midland last year and at HEB a few weeks ago - despite some nearly catastrophic complications in prelims - and placing 3rd overall at USBands Burleson last week - woohoo!) is an against-all-odds Cinderella story. So if you happen to be there when they play, please please please give them some love... they need every bit of it! Thanks guys!! Love reading all your predictions and input! Go band!

[LostChoirGuy]

  On 10/11/2023 at 6:51 AM, BandFanForever said:

Hey! Fossil Ridge mama here (and former Berkner guard member myself). I love marching band, and I think all the shows this year have amazing things to offer. I'm constantly impressed by all these kids and their efforts! My faves so far have been Keller and LD Bell, but I haven't gotten to see too many.

I know Ridge is not usually in the convo about area finals, but I wanted to give you guys some little-known behind the scenes insight into what they face. 

They are Keller ISD, but they are technically in Ft. Worth. Over half the student body is low income. The entire feeder pattern is Title 1. This is why, even with band fees that are 1/3 of the other bands in the area, they are so small... it's hard to get enough kids that can afford to participate. And they certainly don't have the luxury of choosing which kids to put on the field. 

The boosters fundraise the best they can, but as an outlier to Keller, they don't get much community support. Their fundraising is to help scholarship kids so they can participate and feed them at games and comps and help pay limited support staff. They don't have a bunch of money to spend on new uniforms or extravagant props, and their equipment is ancient and sketchy. They don't even take props to games because the money that would be used for a prop truck is needed to help the kids. To top it all off, they have to compete against some of the top (and wealthiest and biggest) bands in the state, including 3 others in their own district. They don't ever travel to BOA San Antonio or anywhere else the rest of the Keller ISD bands go because they don't have the money. They are always the underdog. But here are the good things:

They have one of the most diverse programs in the state, and they are a united family. So cool! They work so dang hard despite the odds and always cheer on other schools... especially in their district... even though they are the black sheep. Ha! They keep improving and clawing forward even when it looks impossible. Their snare line has three girls... including their center snare... which is so unusual and cool to all of us ladies. 

Every success... big or small (like making finals at BOA Midland last year and at HEB a few weeks ago - despite some nearly catastrophic complications in prelims - and placing 3rd overall at USBands Burleson last week - woohoo!) is an against-all-odds Cinderella story. So if you happen to be there when they play, please please please give them some love... they need every bit of it! Thanks guys!! Love reading all your predictions and input! Go band!

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I will always root for success in the Fossil Ridge program.  Growing up, I had many friends that went there and I know they lacked a lot of the privileges and advantages of the other Keller schools.  It would be awesome to see them make finals here.

This area also includes a good number of economically disadvantaged schools, particularly in the inner city parts of the metro.  I imagine it can be hard being a student at one of these schools and seeing some of the amazing opportunities students at other schools have, but I hope these students know how proud we are of all of their hard work, no matter how their band places.