The Columbia High School Marching Wildcat Band continued its winning legacy last Saturday by remaining among the top bands in the state. This year, the marching season came to an end with CHS placing fourth in Class 4A at the state championship competition held in Germantown.
Band Director Leslie Fortenberry said, "I am incredibly proud of how we finished out the season."
Considering last year with the covid pandemic, there were no band competitions and then moving up a class from 3A to 4A, Fortenberry considers fourth place quite an accomplishment for her students.
"We walked off that field the proudest I have ever been with this group," she said.
The band has been in Class 4A before, but it has been several years. For her students, this was a change going up against larger and more competitive bands.
"For us going from 3A to 4A and still place in the top five, I think that is an incredible effort for any group activity to accomplish," Fortenberry said.
The band, featuring a pirate theme, was awarded third place for music, which is the largest portion of the overall score in the competition. The band also placed second for percussions.
The Wildcat band will present its Christmas concert on Nov. 30, and their spring concert in April. In May, they plan to do something new with a marching concert.
