Fort Mill band takes home best win yet at national championship

The marching Yellow Jackets took home a first-time honor during a national weekend competition.

The Fort Mill High School marching band Saturday competed in Lucas Oil Stadium for the Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis.

The band placed third in Class 3-A in the semifinals. It was the first time the band has placed in the top three of its class, according to the school.

Fort Mill finished 19th overall in the competition, which included 100 bands from 23 states.

It was Fort Mill High’s best finish in a Bands of America Grand Nationals. The school has a slew of South Carolina marching band titles earned over decades in its trophy case.

“Finishing the season in the nation's Top 20 of high school marching bands is a remarkable accomplishment for these students,” a statement from the band reads.

In the national competition’s 40-year history, just two South Carolina bands made the top 12 and performed in the Bands of America Nationals finals, a release states.

Fort Mill’s 2017 show, titled “Golden Age of the Silver Screen,” features music from “Peyton Place,” “The Sea Hawk” and “Sunset Boulevard.”

During its show, the field becomes a movie lot where scenes from the films are shot and the soundtracks recorded. The set includes a Main Street vintage store.

The band ends the show performing the 20th Century Fox theme.

This story was originally published November 12, 2017 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Fort Mill band takes home best win yet at national championship."