Morenci Pride Band ends 14th at state meet

Flag line seventh of 16 in ABODA semifinal

By Raymundo Frasquillo

PHOENIX – Morenci totaled 63.444 points to end 14th of 16 in the Arizona Band Director and Orchestra Director’s Association (ABODA) Division IV semifinals on Nov. 7. The competition was held on the Phoenix Desert Vista campus.

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Senior drum major Avery Wiltbank directs the band during a recent Lawson Stadium halftime performance.*

By category, the Pride Band Auxiliary Unit finished seventh with 3.60 points, 12th (13.10) for Visual Performance, 16th (28.069) for Music Performance, 16th (15.625) for General Effect, and 16th (3.05) for Percussion.

The 26-piece Pride Band has seniors Alandra Dalton, Robert Hobbs, and Avery Wiltbank; juniors Jolie Anderson, Catalina Garcia, Matthew Goodman, Carson Hobbs, and Ryan Sullivan; sophomores Gianni Arciniega, Santiago Barraza Yanez, Kianey Castaneda, Helena Culver, William Henrie, Tamra Sipes, Luca Shaw, Riley Stephensen, and Gabriel Tachie-Mensen; and freshmen Benjamin Clancy, Calvin Conway, Kristofer Hartman, Zachary Levingston, Dexter Morris, Elijah Purcell, Yamilet Sainz-Altamirano, Mycah Syzmanski, and Payton Wiltbank.

Benedetta Cargile is the director, Avery Wiltbank the senior drum major, and Ryan Sullivan the junior drum major.

The Juana Verlander-coached 5-member Flag Line has senior Isabella Fagone, junior Serenity Rabourn, and freshmen Lyla Glenn, Abigail Smith, and Elizabeth VanDam.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: The Juana Verlander-coached 5-member Flag Line leaves the field after a halftime performance. The group finished seventh in the ABODA state semifinal competition on Nov. 7. Heading toward the stands, from left, are freshmen Elizabeth VanDam, Abigail Smith, and Lyla Glenn; Verlander, senior Isabella Fagone; and junior Serenity Rabourn.

Scottsdale Coronado placed first with 79.519 points, Scottsdale Chaparral second (78.494), Chandler Arizona College Prep third (76.750), Scottsdale Arcadia fourth (75.375), Kingman Lee Williams fifth (74.956), Gilbert Mesquite sixth (73.975), Lake Havasu seventh (71.981), Prescott eighth (70.569), Phoenix North Canyon ninth (69.438), Phoenix Maryvale 10th (69.425), Chino Valley 11th (67.969), Yuma Somerton 12th (64.638), Payson 13th (63.838), San Luis 15th (63.388), and Yuma 16th (63.063).

Coronado earned High Percussion (4.025) and High Music (36.056), while Arizona College Prep earned High Auxiliary (4.175), High Visual Effect (15.50), and High General Effect (20.563).