By JOHNATHAN GHAZAL

Redlands East Valley High School marching band advanced to Division 3A finals on Nov. 20. Their success in previous competitions allowed them to reach the finals.

Prior to the Great Orange Classic, REV received first place at the Citrus Valley Classic on Oct. 2 at Citrus Valley High School and fourth place at the Mustang Classic on Oct. 16 at West Valley High School while Citrus Valley had received third place and fifth place. 

On Oct. 21, the Wildcats used the Blackhawks’ Hodges stadium to finish learning their sets and positions for their performance, “The Artist.” 

Marching band is a large time commitment that involves practice sessions, the loading and unloading of the trailer, and setting up the props. It takes a whole team of students and parents to simply get all the equipment to each practice away from REV, as they do not currently have a football field.

The Marching Wildcats perform their show “The Artist” on Oct. 22 at Ramona High School. They are performing one of their squatting visuals. (Courtesy of Richelle Ghazal)

Wildcat High Winds Captain, Carlos Cruz, said that the key to success for the band as a team and in competition is the strong bond that they have formed after having spent many hours together.

“We [have] spent over 200 hours together since school started,” said Cruz. 

In addition, the majority of the REV band members attended band camp over the summer before the school year began.

Since the Citrus Valley Classic, the Wildcats have admitted that their enthusiasm and focus have waned. Practices have not been as productive as others have been. However, through the determination of the band members, they have been able to improve their score each time throughout the following competitions.

At Ramona High School in Riverside, they performed the entire show and used their newly painted black props for the first time in competition on Oct. 22. 

After the performance, Sarah Bocanegra, a sophomore REV tenor saxophone player, said, “[I’m] tired. [It was] well worth it, and [I feel] relieved.” 

After the other bands performed that afternoon, the awards were distributed with the scores read out by the announcer. Citrus Valley placed seventh with a score of 74 points and REV placed third with a score of 76.30 points. 

Daisy Felipe, a sophomore REV alto saxophone player, said, “I feel we did our best, and we all deserve what we got. We will keep pushing further.”

The next competition for the Marching Wildcats occured at San Gorgonio High School. They scored 79 points earning third place, followed by the semi-finals in Mission Viejo where they scored 80.79 points in 12th place, qualifying them to compete at the finals amongst 14 other bands. 

Having advanced into the finals on Nov. 20, they placed 11th with a score of 81 points at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach.

Marching Wildcats perform at Newport Harbor High School for the California State Band Championships finals on Nov. 20. They are seen without their colorful smocks, as they transition into the “Painted Black” portion of the show. (Courtesy of Richelle Ghazal)