On Sept. 21, 2024, the Pride of Yukon band competed at the Deer Creek Invitational. On the day of the competition, it was a scorcher, and they were set for a long day.
“It was really hot, so they gave us a lot of water,” sophomore Jackson Warner said.
“There was all these water stations [around].”
Despite the heat and the inevitable long day ahead, Yukon started with a bang by breaking a band record.
“We got the highest prelim[inary] score Yukon has ever gotten [in the first competition],” sophomore Riley Cox said. “We scored almost an 80.” (The previous record was 70.75)
The show that was performed was called Winged Warrior, and the band almost had it all ready, and had been working to perfect it.
“We only had parts one and two [of the show] cleaned and ready to perform,” junior Nevan Hackett said. “This Morning [Sept. 25], we got part 3 with music, we just need to clean it.” The band had their sights set on the future as Hackett reflected on his goals for the band this year, specifically at competitions.
“Making top 3 at OBA [Oklahoma Band Association] finals is gonna be rough,” Hackett said. “Where we’re at right now, we’re nine points [ahead of] where we were last year.”
Cox felt it was important for the newcomers to the band to have a great first impression of competitions and was glad that they were able to deliver.
“I know my first competition last season has a special place in my heart,” Cox said. “I think the freshmen wanted it to be good so it has that kind of special place.”
Warner believed that the effort put into improving not only himself but also the band as a whole was worth it.
“Marching takes a lot of hard work,” Warner said. “It’s very energy and mentally consuming, but it’s a lot of fun.”