Area marching bands earn semistate spot

Three local marching bands have earned a berth to semistate competition after placing in the top 10 in their class.

Center Grove High School’s Marching Trojans and Whiteland Community High School’s Marching Warriors earned a gold rating and a top 10 placing in Class A at Indiana State School Music Association regional competition at Center Grove High School.

The Greenwood Marching Woodmen and Irish Guard also earned a gold rating and top 10 placing at Center Grove in Class B.

Greenwood and Center Grove also snapped up extra awards for their performances, with Greenwood earning recognition for best music, visual and general effect.  Center Grove won the same awards for Class A.

Bands that placed in the top 10 at their regional competition have earned the right to compete at semistate this weekend. Most bands were also awarded gold ratings, but only the top 10 bands at each regional competition advanced, said Pete Sampson, marching band director at Whiteland Community High School.

Whiteland’s marching band hasn’t advanced to semistate since 2013, when the band competed and advanced as a band in Class B. Which class bands compete in are determined by the school’s enrollment, said Sampson.

And the last few years, Whiteland has bounced between Class A and Class B. They made it to semi state in Class A this year.

“The exciting thing for us is, this is Class A,” he said.

Now all three bands will march Saturday at semistate. The top 10 bands in each class that place at semistate will earn a berth to state finals at Lucas Oil Stadium on Oct. 29.  Greenwood will march with Class B at Pike High School. Whiteland and Center Grove will join other Class A bands at Ben Davis High School.

Bands from Indian Creek and Franklin Community High School did not compete during the weekend.

Those bands are preparing for the scholastic state finals on Saturday at Lawrence Central High School with Indian Creek marching at 12:05 p.m. and Franklin Community High School competing at 7:40 p.m.

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Five local marching bands will be competing at ISSMA events this Saturday.

Center Grove, Whiteland and Greenwood will be competing at semi state. Indian Creek and Franklin will be competing in the scholastic state finals.

Here is what time they perform:

Whiteland: 1:52 p.m. at Ben Davis High School.

Center Grove: 2:18 p.m. at Ben Davis High School

Greenwood: 1:52 p.m. at Pike High School

Indian Creek: 12:05 p.m. at Lawrence Central

Franklin: 7:40 p.m. at Lawrence Central

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