After an exciting season filled with parades and playing at football games, the marching season has come to a close.  The 2014 state champions were under the leadership of new band director, Jonathon Schiffler and performed admirably at both USBands Virginia State Championship and VBODA Marching Assessment.

At the USBands Championship in Norfolk, the Marching Titans received second place in their group, beating James Wood High School.  A week later, on Halloween, the band also placed in the VBODA Marching Assessment, receiving the prestigious “superior” rating.  They outscored both Washington Lee and Hanover at the event.  Arya Jian-Najar, a member of the Color Guard, says, “Receiving the score was very rewarding because we worked really hard throughout the year with daily practices also it was a great end to the season that set the stage for the future.”

The band also performed at the JMU Parade of Champions alongside the Marching Royal Dukes.  And, on the same day as the VBODA Assessment, they later marched in costume at the Leesburg Halloween Parade.  Some of the creative costumes included the low brass section as donuts, a group of princesses, a mariachi band, and the clarinets as Pacman characters.  Lara Lilly, senior, said, “After working hard at assessments, it was so much fun for us and the kids really enjoyed seeing the band play in costume.”