Rock Hill region schools have the best bands in SC. It’s time to claim more titles
South Carolina high school marching band season hits its high note this weekend as performers vie for a state championship.
With the state record holder, five schools with five or more state championships and more than 60 overall titles from 10 schools, the Rock Hill region is a marching band showstopper.
The class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A state finals come Saturday after upper and lower state championships this past weekend. The top 16 bands in each classification will compete. The 5A classification holds its preliminary and finals rounds Nov. 4, featuring 22 bands.
Championships this weekend heat up most on the 4A level where five of 16 finalists come from the three-county Rock Hill region. Upper state champ Catawba Ridge won state titles the past two years, in two size classifications. In-town rival Nation Ford finished second at states last year to Catawba Ridge, and prior to last year won nine of the past 12 state titles in its division.
Also marching in 4A competition are Indian Land, Northwestern and York high schools. The only other area schools competing this weekend are Lewisville and York Prep, both in the 1A division.
The 5A competition next weekend has two more area bands. Clover and Rock Hill each will march. One school that won’t march is Fort Mill, whose 24 state titles are tops statewide. Fort Mill alternates years marching in state and national competitions. Fort Mill will march at a Bands of America regional event in Utah the same day as 5A prelims and finals.
Check out when and where to see area bands compete next:
1A
Date: Oct. 28
Site: Blythewood High School
Show times: Lewisville 10:45 a.m., York Prep 11 a.m., awards 3:15 p.m.
4A
Date: Oct. 28
Site: Spring Valley High School
Show times: Northwestern 5 p.m., Indian Land 6:45 p.m., York 7:30 p.m., Nation Ford 7:45 p.m., Catawba Ridge 9 p.m., awards 9:45 p.m.
5A
Date: Nov. 4
Site: Colleton County High School
Show times: Clover 10 a.m. prelim; Rock Hill 11:30 a.m. prelim
The top 12 bands from the preliminary round will march in the finals, based on score, between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Awards follow at 10 p.m.
This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 10:38 AM.
