By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
The Athens High School Pride of the Hornets Band is in hot pursuit of a ninth consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Award. On Oct. 18, the band earned a first division in the Class 4A Regional Marching Contest. A sweepstakes award requires that a band take first divisions in marching, concert and sight-reading contests in the same year — a difficult accomplishment and one AHS has managed for the past eight years. The UIL concert and sight-reading contests will take place in April.
This past Saturday, the Hornet band competed in the UIL Area Marching Contest, finishing in the top 10. Those 10 schools marched again, with the top four advancing to state. “We didn’t make the top four, but just making it into finals is an accomplishment,” said AHS Band Director Rusty Lay. “We are very proud of their work ethic. It takes a lot of dedication to make it to this level.”
In addition to the hard work of the students, Lay credited the band’s assistant director, Stephen Morman, as well as Athens Middle School band directors Gehrig Blankenship and Kimberly Beard who assist at the high school level as well. “It’s a team effort,” said Lay.