Marching Bulldogs perform admirably in doubleheader

The Highland High School Marching Bulldogs took the field of competition for the first time this season for a doubleheader on Saturday, and Highland’s talented musicians made it a day to remember.

In their first competition on Saturday morning, the HHS Marching Bulldogs’ performance at the Belleville East Marching Invitational earned them caption awards for Best Music and Best Visual Effect and First Place in Class 3A.

“Overall, we had a really great day; busy, but great,” said HHS Marching Bulldogs band director Christopher Wilson. “This is the first contest weekend of the marching season and many bands do not have their full show on the field, including us. The students realized that all the hard work we did this year pays off. One third of the band members are freshmen and they now understand what we have been working to achieve.”

The second act of this day for the HHS Marching Bulldogs was the Metro East Marching Classic at O’Fallon Township High School, where the Bulldogs recovered nicely from some early “electrical issues” to place third in Class 2A behind a juggernaut Hillsboro squad and rival Triad.

“O’Fallon was a different story for us,” Wilson said. “We had some electronic issues right from the start that brought our scores down in the music category, and that set the tone for the rest of the show.

“Each show is different and certain variables can keep a band from placing and playing their best. Our show is pretty technical and challenging, but we know we have the students to pull it off. After listening to the judges’ comments, we have good direction to make improvements.

“Mr. (John) Case and I are really proud of our band and we can’t wait to see what the rest of this season holds for us.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Marching Bulldogs perform admirably in doubleheader."