You know it’s time for the school year to start when you can hear the marching band practicing in full swing in the student parking lot from all over Springfield.

We watch in awe as they take over the football field for halftime performances with perfect synchronization. We hear their fight songs cheering on the Varsity football team from the bleachers.

This isn’t an easy feat; the marching band members put in long, hard hours before the school year has even begun. This is in addition to the grueling hours they spend once school is in session. You can see the marching band practicing their formations late at night in the practice field long after other sports have gone home. The dedication shown by the members of the band is all building up for the competitions they preform at.

“The long hours after school, and during the summer were all worth it because we gave a great show,” said junior Kelsey Oppler. “It was a lot better than last year because of the great student leaders, I felt like we were a more close knit unit.”

The Marching Band attended six competitions this year. Out of the five where they were scored, they took first place at four.

One of the biggest accomplishments they had this year was receiving the highest rating at States. They also placed twelfth in their class at Nationals, which is a whopping seven places higher than last year’s score.

“[Nationals] competition was like the Super Bowl of band competitions,” said senior Stephen        Dillon. “Compared to the past, we’ve done a lot better than we normally do.”

Each competition has about 15 bands competing, except Nationals which had over 100.

“This band did the absolute best they could possibly do, I am so proud of them, this is the best band I have seen since being at WS,” said band director Larry Einuis.

To get prepared before a performance the marching band members stretch, run, and get their lines organized. They go through a mental and instrument warm ups followed by a rehearsal.

The senior band members also enjoy a few perks. They get to ride their own bus to competitions since there are 27 seniors this year. They also have a little fun with the rookies by waking them up ungodly early at band camp for a bright and early practice.

The new freshmen this year learned what it took to be part of such a talented group of musicians.

“I loved it. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done, hard work, but rewarding,” said freshman Amelia Wheaton.

Anyone who has watched the band perform this year can see how well they work together. From the music to the footwork, you can tell the effort they put into it. Their strong work ethic paid off when it came to competitions.

“We all put aside our differences this year. We had a good group of hard workers,” said senior Ryan Shannahan.