The Marion Patriot Pride Marching Band continued its winning ways Saturday night, earning Grand Champion honors at the A-State Open held at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro.
This marks the third win in a row for the Marion band, which previously took top honors at both the West Memphis Classic and the Mid-South Marching Classic. In just 14 days, the band has defeated 48 total bands from four states in three competitions.
In addition to being named Grand Champion, the Patriot Pride also earned a Superior rating, Best in Class Drum Major for Kaden Littlejohn, Best is Class Soloist for Littlejohn, Best in Class Colorguard, Best Overall Musical Score, and Second Place Percussion in Class.
The final order of finish for participating schools was:
- Marion
- Houston (Germantown, Tenn.)
- Jonesboro
- Brookland
- Pocahontas
- Potosi (Missouri)
- Dyer County (Tenn.)
- West Memphis
- Star City
- Valley View
- Riverview
- Mountain Grove (Missouri)
- Nettleton
- Milan (Tenn.)
- Harmony Grove
- Bald Knob
- Kennett (Missouri)
- East Poinsett County
- Piggott
- Mammoth Spring
Next up for the band will be Saturday’s Region Marching Assessment in Cabot. That will be followed by the State Marching Assessment on October 31 in Little Rock. Then, the band will travel to Huntsville, Ala., for the U.S. Bands Southern States Championship.
The band’s show this year is titled “Galileo, Galileo” and depicts two days in the life of the famous astronomer Galileo from the year 1610. The music includes “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Planets,” and “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd.
The Marion School District is an innovative and growing district committed to helping every student find their unique path to success in school and in life. With more than 150 years of experience serving families in Crittenden County, the district offers a high school, a junior high, and three award-winning magnet schools. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.