Last Saturday’s rainy weather created plenty of complications but could not dampen the spirit of competition at Pierce County High School’s (PCHS) 20th annual Sound of Silver Invitational.
Things began as they usually do for the invitational, one of the marching band’s biggest fundraisers of the year, Sound of Silver band members and their parents reporting to the Bearville Stadium and queueing up up lines to register their arrival and verify their individual assignments.
Once checked in, everyone moved with focus and nervous energy, making last minute preparations and adjustments while awaiting busloads of fellow marching bands and their teachers and chaperones from counties across Georgia.
The full list of competitors included: Brunswick High School. Jeff Davis High School, Vidalia High School, Worth County High School, Toombs County, Baldwin County High School, Emanuel County High School, New Hampstead High School, Portal Middle High School, Irwin County High School, Chatooga County High School, Tift County High School, Statesboro High School, Metter High School (who recently held their first Tiger Pride Invitational where Pierce County placed as second runner up) and Appling County High School (Grand Champion of the Tiger Pride Invitational).
The bright breezy weather initially seemed to cooperate with only a few scattered drizzles barely dampening the ground. Several bands had already performed, while others were readying on nearby practice fields. Then, a little before 2 p.m. the bottom fell out.
Enjoying a snack from the hospitality area, Amber Erickson, one of the bus drivers for Glynn County, stood underneath the covered drop off area and eyed the rain, which had slackened somewhat from the the deluge that chased both competitors and spectators from the stadium but was still coming down.
“I’ve been driving kids to competitions for 30 years and we’ve never been here when it’s been this wet,” said Erickson. “It’s been blistering hot or freezing cold, but never rain like this.”
Luckily music instructor Robert McCoy and his small army of support crew and volunteers had planned ahead for just such an occurrence. Instead of panic or confusion, the water-logged students and volunteers put a new plan into place, coordinated by text and walkie-talkie. After all, the show must go on.
Bands that had previously been warming up outdoors moved to interior spaces where they could conduct some last minute practice. When the time neared for them to compete, a brisk march across the student parking lot brought them to the old PCHS gym, the last surviving and extensively renovated remnant of the old PCHS building.
Inside, blue tarps lined the court where basketball is normally played, workers armed with squeegees and paper towels chasing after spots where water dripping from hundreds of feet had already pooled.
While a significantly more confined performance space than the stadium green, the gathered marching bands acquitted themselves well and the final moments of the invitational’s grand champion, Appling County, had arguably even more impact— a huge U.S. flag billowing out to fill the entire court.
In between introducing the bands or encouraging the purchase of spirit beads as part of the competition for the coveted Spirit Award, announcers regularly advised people to exercise caution on the potentially slick surfaces and to use handrails on the stairs.
All went well except for a few tense minutes as leadership for the class A and AA bands gathered to hear the judges’ decision. A player for Portal Middle High School slipped and hit the ground with an audible clap, drawing gasps and cries of alarm from onlookers.
Staff and responders clustered about the player who initially seemed unmoving or possibly held still out of an abundance of caution. A stretcher was brought in, but soon the player was climbing back to their feet, a bandage across their forehead, but undeterred and intent on standing with their fellow band members as the results were read.
Cheers and applause greeted the player as they rose to their feet and stood unaided. Portal’s Drum Major took first place and Portal took third place overall among class A.
The final results were:
Class A
Third - Portal Middle High School, Second Emanuel County Institute and First - New Hampstead.
Class AA
Third - Chatooga, Second - Worth County and First - Baldwin
Class AAA
Third - Dodge County, Second - Toombs and First - Metter.
Class AAAA
Third -Tift County, Second - Statesboro and First - Appling County
Spirit Award
Dodge County.
Runner-up
Statesboro (92.25 points) Grand Champion
Appling County (95.92 points)
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