Band! Horns up!

While the big schools played for pride, the smaller schools around the region competed Saturday for a shot at the state contest — a road that begins at Ratliff Stadium.

Big Spring, a 4A school, was one of those at the Region VI UIL marching band competition that was working for a chance to go to Lubbock next week in the UIL area meet.

“We’ve got to put on a good performance for the area meet,” Ruben Chance, assistant Big Spring band director, said. “We’re been preparing for this meet since July 29.”

Chance said the A, 2A and 4A schools were competing for a chance to go to the area competition while 3A and 5A would have a chance to compete for area next year.

Just because the 3A and 5A schools weren’t competing for state didn’t mean they didn’t have anything to play for.

“We’re just playing to keep our standard up,” Jim Nelson, Lamesa high band director, said. “If we do good this year, it’ll be easier to do good next year because we have that confidence.”

Some bands also had the chance to change the perception on high school marching bands.

“We just had fun out there,” Crystal Causiness, a Seminole senior, said. “We played ‘Freebird’ Lynyrd Skynyrd and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. It was a little bit different from what most people think of band.”

The preparation just minutes before the bands go on stage can be the most nerve racking though.

“We’re trying to keep them focused and have them not visit very much,” Bill Nelson, Lamesa High band director, said. “They’re not really listening and are visiting, but I think that’s just their way of keeping their mind off what’s fixing to happen.”

1A

Wink, Division 1.

Sterling City, Div. 2.

Seagraves, Div. 1.

Water Valley, Div. 3.

Forsan, Div. 1.

McCamey, Div. 2.

Irion County, Div. 1.

Iraan-Sheffield, Div. 1.

2A

Crane, Div. 1.

Reagan County, Div. 1.

Stanton, Div. 1.

Colorado, Div. 2.

Alpine, Div. 2.

Coahoma, Div. 2.

Grape Creek, Div. 1.

Ozona, Div. 3.

Kermit, Div. 2.

3A

Monahans, Div. 1.

Seminole, Div. 1.

Greenwood, Div. 1.

Fort Stockton, Div. 1.

Pecos, Div. 3.

Lamesa, Div. 2.

Andrews, Div. 1.

4A

Big Spring, Div. 1.

Lakeview, Div. 2.

5A

Permian, Div. 1.

Odessa, Div. 1.

Midland, Div. 1.

Lee High, Div. 1.

Lee Freshman, Div. 1.

Central, Div. 1.

Note: Division 1 is the highest score, Div. 5 is the lowest.