The students sit, waiting. Each clutching someone else’s hand in hope that the De Soto High School b  and is not called next. The crowd, the bands, the whole world seemed to have come to a hush, to exude this moment. The announcer breaks the impatient silence with the third-place winner: Spring Hill High School. There is a sigh of relief that is quickly replaced with a deep exhale of anxiety. It’s down to De Soto High School and their annual prominent competitor, Louisburg High School. “And in second place with a score of 90.23 resulting in a 1 rating goes to Lou-,” and the De Soto Band erupts into cheers.

    Each year on Oct. 11, the DHS marching band competes in the Baker Marching Festival and for the past three consecutive years, DHS has been named Grand Champions.

    However, this year was different. One week before Baker, marching band director Matt Bradford fell ill, resulting in a two-week absence and a stand-in by Mindy Fry, the choir and drama director here at DHS

   “Mr. Bradford did so much to help me last year during my first year at DHS, it was an opportunity for me to repay him,” Fry said. “It was a crazy week, but when a friend is in need, you step up to the plate.”

    According to sophomore color guard member Delaney LeCluyse, it was overall a “very stressful” week, however, “The catchphrase for the week was ‘Do it for Bradford!’ That seemed to help a lot of people focus and help boost morale.”

    Not only did the band win Baker yet again, but they won it with a much more difficult show.

    “I was so proud of them.  Our show was much more difficult this year, so we didn’t know what to expect,” Fry said.

    Along with the band as a whole being named grand champions and receiving a 1 rating, the drum line got second with a score of 79.00, resulting in a 1 rating.

   This is sophomore drum line member Cooper Pflaum’s third year winning Baker.

    “Before the performance you look up and see everyone in the stands waiting for you to perform. All these things are running through your mind before you perform but once you start the music takes you away,” Pflaum said. “We had worked many, many days practicing and in the end it was all worth it.”

   The Dazzlers color guard also got second with a 1 minus rating.

    “Our feature was great, and the band members that danced with us were good sports. There was definitely a few things that we can still work on but overall I think we all did our best and the judges must have agreed with us,” LeCluyse said.

    The band’s long term dedication and talent, even through trying times, is what ultimately earned them the title of grand champions.