The Starr’s Mill marching band is aiming for a perfect season after earning the top spot in their first two competitions to begin the season. Band Director Scott King and Assistant Band Director Bert Groover lead the talented students through their contests. 

“It’s entertaining, its musical. The kids are playing the heck out of it, marching the heck out of it,” Groover said. “It’s unique, no one really has a show designed like ours.”

Their first competition this year at Bowden High School was a success. The marching band won High Music Award and the Grand Championship, and the drum major won Best Drum in Contest. Also, color guard and percussion placed second overall.

The second competition at Veterans High School was filled with just as many awards, including: High Music, High Visual, High Effect, and the drum major was, again, best overall. Color guard also won Best in Contest.

“Winning is partly up to us, but it’s partly up to judges too, so it’s very subjective,” King said. “We have to set ourselves up to win.”

In 2008, the marching band won all three competitions for the first time in school history. The booster president at the time bought a banner and wrote the three competition names and “2008 Undefeated Season.” The banner hung from the gym ceiling for a long time, until the renovation two years ago. 

“It kind of became a myth, a thing, if you will,” Groover said. “Like something you would put up on a pedestal.”

The band will play for an undefeated season this Saturday at Fayette County High School. Starr’s Mill will perform in prelims at 2 p.m.