September 30, 2019
By: Bill Conger
The Fighting Tiger Band stung competitors Saturday (September 28) at the 14th Annual Marching Yellow Jacket Invitational. The D.C.H.S. band went up against two more similar-sized competitors, Forrest High School and Gordonsville, in their class.
“We walked away today very happy,” Band Director Tracy Luna said in the band room following the day’s competition. “We didn’t score first place in our class, but there’s more to numbers than first place in the class. Out of 17 bands, we were 5th overall with the sweepstakes. That means the combined scores of the percussion, drum major, color guard, and the band’s score were all averaged. There’s a formula. We were behind the big bands, and we were the top scorer in small bands out of 17 in the class.”
“Forrest edged us out by half a point in our class, but in the sweepstakes we turned the tables a bit, and we were a point higher than Forrest,” adds Luna. “We were very proud of our overall performance.”
In addition, the percussion and color guard took home first place trophies while drum major Brianna Beatty picked up a 3rd place finish.
“They did a great job,” says Jonathan Holland, Assistant Band Director and Percussion Instructor. “[They are] ‘The Little Percussion Section That Could’. We’re definitely competing against sections that have four to five times as many percussionists as we do. We are holding our own. They’ve really dug in, and they are working really hard. They did extremely well, especially considering we had to substitute in a new player just this past Monday,”
Sixteen bands competed during the mid-90s, high humidity day. Not only did the students perform their “Shades of Latin” show well, the judges recognized the DeKalb County band parents with a special award for the day.
“It comes as a surprise to some folks but not to me because we have one of the best parents groups around,” says Luna. Their enthusiasm, their overall positive attitude, and willingness to help the band was looked at pretty closely. The judges had no idea that this was our Homecoming week, and the parents were bailing me and the band out all week. It was terrific.”
The band will travel to Livingston to play the halftime show this Friday. On October 12th the band will compete in the Middle Tennessee Small Band competition in Chapel Hill, TN.