Banners flew and horns blasted as Cam High’s marching band competed in their first competition over the weekend. The band came in third place in their division with a score of 62.94 out of 100.

“The kids had a great run, especially this early in the season,” said Mr. John Stava, band director. “We stepped up to a new challenge. Now we’re playing with the big boys, whereas earlier we were playing with the ‘smaller boys’.”

This event, held at Thousand Oaks High School, was attended by many of the big-league bands of Southern California. Several bands, such as Liberty High School from Bakersfield, traveled long distances for the chance to compete with other groups of their size and playing ability. Each group all performed their show in front of the wary eyes of several judges, all of whom were trained to watch for any mistakes.

When asked about the other competing groups, Stava said they were “stunningly good” and that the band is now “in the major leagues”. Stava went on to say “all I could imagine was that all my life I’ve coached a little league team and now I’m in the major leagues. We’ve stepped up a little, and we seem to be working very hard.”

David Gatchel, junior, was very pleased with the difficulty of the competition. “It gave the freshmen a chance to learn how everything works in a high-stress environment.”

The band’s score of 62.94 was well-received by many in the band. “I think it shows our potential for how far we’ve come and how far we can go,” said Annalyssa Niedens, senior.

At this point last season, Stava reported the band as having a score of 57, giving a jump of nearly 6 points. Stava attributes the band’s success to their increase in size. “We’ve gone from 65 members last year to 86 members this year. To me, that’s almost the biggest thing right there”. Stava also believes the band’s success can be attributed to their increase in happiness. “I think we have a good, interesting show, and we’ve got a happier band. We’re having a good time.”