2016 Newark Regional



Prelims Results:
(view full recap here)

Class A
1. Plainfield H.S., CT

Music: Plainfield H.S., CT
Visual: Plainfield H.S., CT
GE: Plainfield H.S., CT

Class AA
1. Kiski Area H.S., PA
2. Brick Memorial H.S., NJ
3. Rock Ridge H.S., VA

Music: Kiski Area H.S., PA
Visual: Kiski Area H.S., PA
GE: Kiski Area H.S., PA

Class AAA
1. Trumbull H.S., CT
2. James Madison H.S., VA
3. Cleveland H.S., NC

Music: James Madison H.S., VA
Visual: Trumbull H.S., CT
GE: Trumbull H.S., CT

Class AAAA
1. Lambert H.S., GA
2. Bridgewater-Raritan H.S., NJ
3. Spring-Ford Area H.S., PA

Music: Lambert H.S., GA
Visual: Lambert H.S., GA
GE: Bridgewater-Raritan H.S., NJ

Finals Results:
(view full recap here)

1. (83.65) Trumbull H.S., CT
2. (81.85) Kiski Area H.S., PA
3. (81.40) James Madison H.S., VA
4. (80.85) Cleveland H.S., NC
5. (79.70) Lambert H.S., GA
6. (78.25) Bridgewater-Raritan H.S., NJ
7. (74.55) Brick Memorial H.S., NJ
8. (74.10) Spring-Ford Area H.S., PA
9. (73.95) Rock Ridge H.S., VA
10. (73.75) Chantilly H.S., VA

Music: James Madison H.S., VA
Visual: (tie) Trumbull H.S., CT
and Cleveland H.S., NC
GE: Trumbull H.S., CT

Participating Bands (27):
Brentwood H.S., NY
Brick Memorial H.S., NJ
Bridgewater-Raritan H.S., NJ
Chantilly H.S., VA
Cleveland H.S., NC
Downingtown West H.S., PA
Elizabeth H.S., NJ
Fairfax H.S., VA
George C. Marshall H.S., VA
Grassfield H.S., VA
Hempfield H.S., PA
James Madison H.S., VA
John P. Stevens H.S., NJ
Kiski Area H.S., PA
Lambert H.S., GA
Middletown H.S., DE
Mount Olive H.S., NJ
North Penn H.S., PA
Plainfield H.S., CT
Phoenixville H.S., PA
Rock Ridge H.S., VA
Scotch Plains Fanwood H.S., NJ
Spring-Ford Area H.S., PA
Trumbull H.S., CT
Urbana H.S., MD
West Johnston H.S., NC
Westfield H.S., NJ

Returning 2015 Finalists (6):
2. James Madison H.S., VA
3. Trumbull H.S., CT
6. Spring-Ford Area H.S., PA
7. Brick Memorial H.S., NJ
8. Chantilly H.S., VA
9. Elizabeth H.S., NJ

Previous Champions:
2015: Joe E. Newsome H.S., FL
2014: Norwin H.S., PA
2013: Lassiter H.S., GA
2012: Norwin H.S., PA
2011: Kiski Area H.S., PA

States Represented (9):
Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
About
The 2016 Newark Regional was held Oct. 15 at the University of Delaware Stadium. Rising star Trumbull won the regional champion title.

We said predicting Trumbull as champion was risky, but it really wasn't. The group had been steadily improving for several years, so winning the regional at some point in the future seemed inevitable. Maybe they can take this continued success to a super regional or Grand Nationals before too long.

Analysis
While this event doesn’t boast any big names or consistent national finalists, Newark promises as much competition at the top as any other regional. There are six returning finalists, two of which placed within 0.65 points of the unexpected champion John E. Newsome. Throw in Kiski Area and Rock Ridge, who took sixth and third, respectively, at a fascinating Monroeville Regional in Week 1, and you’ve got what seems to be a total toss-up.

The fight for first will likely be between four bands: James Madison, Kiski Area, Rock Ridge, and Trumbull. Mathematically, there are 24 possible placement arrangements for just those top four and truthfully, we could see every single one happening.

Our pick is a risky choice: Trumbull, a Connecticut program that has made large improvements at this contest over the past couple years. Close behind, we have James Madison in the same spot as last year, followed by Rock Ridge, a band that is only a few years old and had a very impressive first BOA performance at Monroeville.

Rounding out the top is Kiski Area, a band with so much history that it feels wrong to bet against them. Don’t count any of these groups out of a potential champion title.

Lambert, coming off solid finishes at both Powder Springs and Winston-Salem in 2015, seems the best poised of any other group to jump into the top four. We think Spring-Ford is likely to take sixth for a second year in a row while Hempfield returns to finals after a year away from the BOA circuit.

We expect Brick Memorial, Elizabeth, and Chantilly to fill out the finals line up. All three are returning finalists, but none have a finals position guaranteed. One other band that could make finals is Bridgewater-Raritan. We’re now several years removed from their unexpected crowd-favorite performances in prelims and semis at Grand Nationals in 2012, and they haven’t reached that level since. But who’s to say they can’t flip the script? Don’t be shocked if they make an appearance in finals once more.

Predictions
1. Trumbull H.S., CT
2. James Madison H.S., VA
3. Rock Ridge H.S., VA
4. Kiski Area H.S., PA
5. Lambert H.S., GA
6. Spring-Ford Area H.S., PA
7. Hempfield H.S., PA
8. Brick Memorial H.S., NJ
9. Elizabeth H.S., NJ
10. Chantilly H.S., VA

Adjudication Panel
Music: Jarrett Lipman, Wayne Markworth, Bill Watson, and Daniel Wood.
Visual: William Chumley, Austin Greene, and Frank Morris.
Chief: Gary Markham.