OH’s Panther Marching Band earned second place at the Northern Illilnois University (NIU) Red & Black competition even as they fought against rain, nerves, and eight other bands in their 3A class on Sept. 20.
OH Senior Liam Cooley, a percussionist and drum line member in the band, said the competition is “super important. I'm always enjoying going to our competitions.”
The Northern Illinois Red & Black competition, held at NIU's Huskie Stadium, provided students with the opportunity to showcase their talents and skills in marching band.
The OH Color Guard has been an important part of the marching band for decades, and over the years, the program has become increasingly more popular: comprising 30 members this past fall, and every year they seem to get increasingly more advanced. This year was no exception, but they are starting something new this winter: Winter Guard.
Rather than stopping after the fall marching band season is over, the color guard will continue to practice through the winter as well as compete at local circuit competitions. Having a full-out winter season like this is brand new to OH but that does not mean that the guard is new to year-round rehearsals.
“Over the last couple of years, we have been testing the waters with informal Spin Clubs, where we would have optional winter-season rehearsals to keep skills fresh, as well as attending local winter guard contests,” said Head Color Guard Coach Lauren Rogers.
This year, the Panther Marching band performed "Pale Blue Dot," a show whose themes conveyed through the performance “the best show [[they]]’ve had” in the past four years, according to OH senior and Marching Band trumpet section leader Stephen Balhan.
The OH color guard is typically known for performing with the marching band at football games and parades, but they also compete at contests. During their most recent season, for the first time in OH history, the team competed in finals and placed 7th at their state competition. These student performers will receive more opportunities to showcase their talent as they compete with the new 2024-25 winter guard program.
“I've coached for other programs that were highly skilled and did not make finals, which really speaks to the effort that the students put into creating the production and the dedication they put into their training,” said Color Guard Director Lauren Rogers.
Kevin Schoenbach and Stephanie San Roman, the Band Directors at OHS, have put countless hours into the success of the band. Not only are the directors challenged to make the show look its best, but the students are challenged with physically demanding exercises and rehearsals.