Rock Hill Marching Band heads to state finals Saturday

The Rock Hill Marching Band has been working since July preparing for its competitive band season.

This year, instead of trying to qualify for the Ohio Music Education Association State Finals before the end of the season, Rock Hill qualified for state at every competition.

Nick Basham, band director, and Rhonda Pemberton, assistant band director, said they are amazed at what the students have achieved this year.

Before the season started, Rock Hill went to Spring Valley High School in West Virginia and won first-place in its class. They also took first-place soloist and second-place finishes in guard, percussion and field commander.

The first performance of competition season in Ohio was on Sept. 20 at Dawson-Bryant High School where Rock Hill won first-place guard, first-place in class B, overall first-place guard, second-place percussion and reserve grand champion for the competition with a superior rating, qualifying the band for state finals.

Later that day Rock Hill performed at its own competition and although the band couldn’t compete for trophies, it received straight superior ratings and an overall rating of superior, which qualified the band for the state finals twice in the same day.

On Oct. 4, the Rock Hill band competed at Miami Trace High School and won first-place color guard in class B and second-place in percussion and band, again qualifying for state finals with a superior rating.

On Oct. 11 Rock Hill competed at Valley High School and won first-place guard in class B and second-place percussion and band, again qualifying for state with a superior rating.

On Oct. 18 at Green High School, Rock Hill claimed first-place band in class B, second-place guard and third-place percussion. The band also won first overall in music and reserve grand champion, again qualifying for state finals.

At the final competition of the season this past Saturday at Anderson High School in Cincinnati the Rock Hill band won first-place percussion, guard and band in class A and earned its sixth superior rating of the season.

The band on Saturday will perform at 11 a.m. at Hilliard Bradley High School in the band state finals. It has been more than 20 years since the band has earned a superior rating at the state finals. Rock Hill has appeared in the state finals 27 times, which is more than any other band in the area.

“This year the students have really dusted off the title as ‘The Pride of Lawrence County, ” Basham said. “We thank our fans, band boosters, teachers and administrators for their support. It takes support and dedication to end the season with such great success.”