“I think it was the best performance we’ve had all year,” band director Scott King said. “Everything came together. Everyday during that week we got better and better, and it was very exciting.”

This past weekend, the Panther Pride Marching band performed cat the Golden River Marching Festival at Haralson County High School. This competition was an olympic competition, where there is a panel of five judges, each who watch, listen, and react all at the same time. Then, out of all five scores, the highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the other three are averaged. The Panther Pride scored the highest in the competition, and they proudly took home the title of Grand Champions.

Panther Pride received superior ratings in all captions of the competitions. The band’s overall score was 95.17. This high score placed them first in the AA class. They also  competed in the Silver Division, the combination of  A, AA, and AAA classes, and won in this division by 2.5 points. For the overall competition, the Panther Pride placed first out of all 18 bands.

Additionally, each caption, or group such as color guard, percussion, and drum major, received individual scores regarding to their performances. The percussion, consisting of the drumline and pit, scored a 96, won in class AA by 7.5 points, won Silver Division, and tied for first in the contest. They also received the Best Pit Ensemble award in the Silver Division. The Panther Pride color guard scored a 94, won class AA by four points, won second in the Silver Division, and tied for third in the contest.

“[The show is] near perfect,” King said. “I enjoy watching the product from band camp all the way through.”

The Panther Pride Marching Band competes again in the Warrior Invitational Contest on Oct. 22 at Grovetown High School.