The Pride of Olney High School marching band competed in the UIL Regional Marching Contest at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls on Saturday, Oct. 17. The band performed fourth, entering the field around 9:45 a.m. The judges gave the band straight 1s across the board, and the band earned a plaque and advanced to the area contest.
The show, titled "Prism," included songs by Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson and Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, along with a piano solo by Ava Stewart and a bassoon solo by Maddox Johnson. According to the report, spectators gave the show positive feedback, and the crowd gave the band a standing ovation.
Senior Field Captain Sophie Roach said it was the most confident she had felt about the band's rating in her four years of competing. "I'm genuinely so proud of my peers and the work that they've put in," Roach said. She also said the band still has room to improve.
The band will compete at the UIL Area Marching Contest at Ram Stadium in Mineral Wells at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The band will first compete to advance through the prelims, then aim for a top-three finish in the finals. If Olney advances to state, it would be the first time since 2013.