Sitting in the stands at Edmond North High School on a sunny Saturday afternoon, it was easy to forget that you were at a high school football field.
Below, musicians glided across the turf while the color guard twisted and turned, flitting this way and that through intricate formations. Giant set pieces moved seemingly on their own, though they were maneuvered into place by a crew of students or sometimes parents. In the end zones were other mammoth pieces either waiting to be pushed onto the field or for the next round of competition. A large airplane sat in pieces next to a giant painting of a bull and a rose. An army of mannequins was tucked in under the stands.
While it had the trappings of a random collection of Broadway shows, it was actually the Oklahoma Bandmaster’s Association (OBA) 1A-3A State Championships, and among bands that easily sported 50 or more members was The Pride of Chandler from Chandler High School.
The marching band once again showed that while they may often be the smallest band on the field, they are mighty. Chandler placed third in Class 2A during the prelims, and then jumped to seventh place overall in the finals, beating out the three other 2A bands Holdenville, Washington and Perry -- and two 3A bands -- Lone Grove and Inola.
Holdenville won first place for 2A in prelims, while Perry took second.
It was an incredible jump from last year’s performance -- Chandler placed 12th overall in finals at the same competition -- as well as from prelims to finals.
“Our prelim run was good, but I knew we could have been a little bit better musically. And then they were much better in the finals run that night. So the improvement from prelims to the finals was really good,” said Director Zachary Fisher.
Fisher added that they jumped past the two schools that placed ahead of them in the prelims. It was the total opposite of last year.
“I was blown away with their focus and how they were; they just were able to bring it. They brought it, and it was incredible for that finals run. Especially last year, you know, we finished really high in prelims and then dropped a lot in finals,” he said.
The marching band took their program “The Ballad of Georgia Graves,” which is best described as a Western epic that follows the titular Georgia (played by senior Bethany Descher) on her quest for vengeance.
It includes music from the movie “Twister,” Americana classics, and more.
Wherever Chandler has performed, the crowd has reacted, Fisher said. On Saturday during prelims, the stands were full of gasps and cheers, especially when drum major Alison Radcliffe trustfalls from the top of her stand to the color guard waiting below.
“I’m glad that it’s leaving a good impact on people who see it. That’s what we want. It’s exactly what we want. We want it to be something that is emotional and that is exciting and that gets people excited to see it and that they can get invested in,” he said. “ It’s a great chance for them to show off the hard work that they’ve done and to show off how cool.”
The Pride of Chandler Marching Band will next compete at OSSAA Northeast Marching Band Regionals at Oologah on Oct. 21.