Band Wins Grand Champion Cup

The Canton High School Mighty Eagle Band returned from the Northwestern State Marching Invitational with the Grand Champion Cup after winning overall best band in all classifications.

The contest held Saturday, hosted 29 schools from Texas and Louisiana in classifications 1A through 5A. The CHS Eagle Band was entered in classification three and won outstanding drum majors, percussion, winds and best in class.

After winners in each classification were announced, one band was awarded the Grand Champion Cup and that band was Canton.

"The CHS Band’s amazing tradition of superior performances continues as the 2007 marching season comes to a close," director of band Rob Toups said. "All five adjudicators at this weekend’s contest commented how thrilling it was to hear such a beautiful symphonic band sound on a marching field."

This latest sweep of awards follows earlier outstanding performances at the Mesquite ISD Marching Invitational where the band swept all captions in their class, the Little Elm ISD Marching Contest on the Lake, where the band again swept all captions in their class, and in addition was awarded overall first runner up to 5A Lewisville High School.

Again on October 24, the band earned its 15

"Everywhere we go people are interested in this high school band’s ability to maintain such an amazing level of success and integrity for so many years running. I always answer the same way. These band students are not afraid to work…really work," Toups said. "They are not easily distracted from the goals we set, and the positive support their parents provide helps to keep us all focused. It seems simple. However, walking the walk is not easy."

Although this year’s marching presentation is a moving patriotic tribute, the band’s success is based on fundamental visual and musical concepts. Judges rate bands on the precision and uniformity of step offs, foot placement, stride, posture, instrument and upper body carriage, visual clarity of forms and spacing on the field.

Musically bands are judges on beauty of sound, phrase starts, sustain and releases, tonal color, instrument balance, chords and melodic lines. The degree of consistency in these areas of a performance make the difference from one band to another.

Prior to this school year, the Canton High School band has earned three consecutive Texas State UIL Marching titles (2006, 2004, 2002), one silver and one bronze medal (2000, 1998), and eighth place finish (1996), was named the Texas Music Educators 3A Honor Band (2003) and has amassed hundreds of top awards from contests at home and abroad (Dublin, Ireland, 1999).

This school year along the Eagle band has won 21 distinguished performance awards. To date, the band stands alone as the only Texas school band program in any classification to earn three consecutive UIL State Marching Championships.

"I am very demanding of these outstanding students. The Canton High School Band does not have the luxury of being satisfied with past success. I believe and teach that we never arrive until our life journey is complete. Until then, keep striving for the next level of achievement," Toups said.

The band is already gearing up for an unprecedented fourth run at a state title in 2008. Drum majors Kyle Vogt, Taylor Rohrman, the Eagle band students and staff wish to thank the band parents for embracing the CHS band philosophy, also for the generosity and graciousness they show everywhere we travel and most of all, for being such good examples for us all to follow and learn from.

The band is made up of Krista Anderson, Dominic Avila, Molly Bloom, Jacob Bryant, Michelle Bryant, Daniela Caldera, Brett Callan, Christie Carrizales, Megan Chatham, Mandy Clark, Casie Cobern, J.J. Coil, Cameron Cole, Nick Corey, Lauren Cox, Shelby Cox, Bruce Dare, Chris Davis, Edward Davis, Jake Douglas and Kelli Dover.

Also, Allison Drummond, Jana Duke, Clyde Elliott, Blake Ellis, Mari Espinoza, David Eubanks, Sally Jane Evans, Brandi Everitt, Victoria Faglie, Evan Fike, Preston Fuller, Jennifer Garrett, Ashlee Giles, William Gilmore, Jennifer Gutierrez, Brandon Hardwick, Kaleb Hatley, Jessica Hilton, Bryenna Huff, Preston Hutcherson, Tyler Jackson and Hannah Jeter.

Also, Adam Jimenez, Rachel Johnson, Ashley Kilpatrick, Josh King, Kameron Landes, Riley Lawson, Reginald Lowrie, Stacy Maher, Madi Matlock, Mason Matlock, Ashton Matthews, Ty Matthews, Marshall May, Shelby McClenny, Erin McCord, Josh McCord, Bret McCoy, Meghan McCully, Ryan McCully, Brandi McKinney, Chrystie McKinney, Taylor Miller and Matt Mitchell.

Also, Jacob Moore, John Neusch, Katherine Nevil, Sarah Norrell, Thomas Olson, Teddie Owen, Gavin Patterson, Philip Patterson, Ashley Perkins, Robert Poteet, Buddy Prow, Josh Putnam, Colton Quick, Hannah Robinson, Nikki Rodriguez, Margaret Rogers, Taylor Rohrman, Garrett Rose, Rebecca Ryer and Johnathan Savis.

Also, Angela Sherwood, Tyler Smith, Trey Splawn, Morgan Starnes, Jennifer Stewart, Caleb Strother, Noye Tatum, Stephen Tatum, Chase Thomas, Zach Tunnell, Morgan Turbeville, Eric Vogt, Kyle Vogt, Andrew Wacaser, Ryan Walker, Heather Walraven, Cathy Watkins, Chris West, Nicholette Wilkerson, Andrew Wilson and Kent Witt.