2018 Midland Regional


Prelims Results
(View full prelims recap here)

Class A
1. Pecos H.S., TX
2. Estacado H.S., TX

Music: Pecos H.S., TX
Visual: Pecos H.S., TX
GE: Pecos H.S., TX

Class AA
1. Lubbock Cooper H.S., TX
2. Big Spring H.S., TX

Music: Lubbock Cooper H.S., TX
Visual: Lubbock Cooper H.S., TX
GE: Lubbock Cooper H.S., TX

Class AAA
1. Wylie East H.S., TX
2. Granbury H.S., TX
3. Birdville H.S., TX

Music: Wylie East H.S., TX
Visual: Wylie East H.S., TX
GE: Wylie East H.S., TX

Class AAAA
1. Timber Creek H.S., TX
2. Coppell H.S., TX
3. Midland Lee H.S., TX

Music: (tie) Coppell H.S., TX
and Timber Creek H.S., TX
Visual: (tie) Coppell H.S., TX
and Timber Creek H.S., TX
GE: Timber Creek H.S., TX

Finals Results
(View full finals recap here)

1. (78.050) Timber Creek H.S., TX
2. (76.450) Coppell H.S., TX
3. (73.650) Wylie East H.S., TX
4. (72.600) Granbury H.S., TX
5. (71.350) Midland Lee H.S., TX
6. (69.550) Del Rio H.S., TX
7. (69.000) Birdville H.S., TX
8. (68.500) Permian H.S., TX
9. (67.450) Bel Air H.S., TX
10. (65.800) Lubbock-Cooper H.S., TX

Music: Timber Creek H.S., TX
Visual: Timber Creek H.S., TX
GE: Timber Creek H.S., TX

Returning 2017 Finalists (3)
3. Timber Creek H.S., TX
7. Del Rio H.S., TX
10. Permian H.S., TX

Previous Champions
2017: Claudia T. Johnson H.S., TX

States Represented (2)
New Mexico and Texas.

The 2018 Midland, Texas, Regional will be held Sept. 22 at Grande Communications Stadium. In 2017, Claudia Taylor Johnson won the inaugural Midland Regional.

Our Thoughts
Editor's Note: MFA updated the schedule to include Bel Air H.S., TX after we had published our initial predictions. We have updated our predictions below to include Bel Air as of Sept. 19.

Last year, this regional was packed with non-local bands who traveled hundreds of miles west to help kick off the first ever Midland Regional. In year two, there are still several out-of-town bands we expect to see toward the top of the pack, but there’s a growing number of West Texas bands who are increasingly competitive.

Timber Creek performs at the 2017 San Antonio Super Regional on Nov. 4, 2017, at the Alamodome. // Photo by Jeremiah Wooten
The battle for first place will likely be between two DFW-area bands: Coppell and Timber Creek. The two have been very close all last season earning 10th and 11th place at Southlake then 24th and 25th places at San Antonio. Timber Creek had the upper hand at Southlake and San Antonio, so we have them with a slight margin of victory over Coppell here in Midland.

Birdville and Del Rio look to be in the running for a bronze medal this year. Birdville hasn’t made finals at a Texas regional since 2010, competing each year in the tough Dallas-area regional. Del Rio earned a spot in finals at both McAllen and Midland just last year and with a trip to San Antonio later this season, appear to be on track to continue making upward strides.

After these top four, the rest of the finalist spots are wide open to any band that proves they deserve to be in finals. There are a couple we think have the best chances of earning a spot.

The only other returning finalist is Permian, which placed 10th at last year’s Midland Regional. Frenship is another group that looks poised to make an improvement on last year’s placement, finishing just one spot out of finals in 2017.

Just a few days before the event, Bel Air was added to the list. While they don't attend BOA regionals every year, they have made finals at both events they've attended in the past 5 years: Long Beach in 2013 and St. George in 2016. That consistent record of BOA finals appearances is enough to give us reason to believe they'll be in finals here in Midland.

Local groups Midland and Midland Lee will also be looking to make finals. Midland did not attend the regional of the same name last year, while Midland Lee finished 14th. Maybe support from the hometown crowd will help push both groups into finals.

Wylie East is traveling all the way from Dallas to compete and has a good chance of earning a second performance. The band most recently competed at the Plano Regional in 2016, going up against some of the best groups in the nation. Granbury is another group traveling a long way to Midland that we don’t have much competitive information on, but we’ve heard good things about them and expect them to also be performing in the night show.

Predictions
1. Timber Creek H.S., TX
2. Coppell H.S., TX
3. Del Rio H.S., TX
4. Birdville H.S., TX
5. Permian H.S., TX
6. Bel Air H.S., TX
7. Frenship H.S., TX
8. Wylie East H.S., TX
9. Granbury H.S., TX
10. Midland H.S., TX

Adjudication Panel
Music: Chris Harris, David McGrath, Dan Morrison, and Will Pitts.
Visual: Lee Carlson, Tim Hudnall, and Bret Mascaro.
Chief: Richard Saucedo.