2018 San Antonio Super Regional


Prelims Results

(View full prelims recap here)

Class A
1. Robinson H.S., TX
2. Ann Richards School, TX
3. Odem H.S., TX

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

Class AA
1. Rouse H.S., TX
2. Weiss H.S., TX
3. Camdenton H.S., MO

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

Class AAA
1. Leander H.S., TX
2. Vista Ridge H.S., TX
3. Cedar Park H.S., TX

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

Class AAAA
1. Ronald Reagan H.S., TX
2. Flower Mound H.S., TX
3. Hebron H.S., TX

Music: Hebron H.S., TX
Visual: Hebron H.S., TX
GE: Ronald Reagan H.S., TX

The 2018 San Antonio Super Regional will be held Nov. 2–3 at the Alamodome. In 2017, Claudia Taylor Johnson won in finals after finishing third in prelims.

Our Thoughts
It seems cliché at this point, but the San Antonio Super Regional gets more competitive each and every year. The entire state has seen huge shake-ups and tons of movement throughout each regional. It’s hard to predict an order for the competition to the point of futility. Instead of discussing the ensembles in roughly the order in which they may place, this article will instead discuss the bands in terms of panels. We’ll still include our predicted placements at the end, but honestly, does anyone actually take those seriously? We’re rarely even close to accurate!

Panel 1
Ronald Reagan performs at the Houston Regional on Oct. 6, 2018, at Woodforest Bank Stadium. // Photo by Wayne Shanks, courtesy of Reagan Band Boosters.
The first four spots from this panel are locked up by Ronald Reagan, Leander, Keller, and Hebron. It would be hard to argue against the success of any of these groups, both continued and this season specifically. Even if not necessarily through the five spots allotted to each panel, we are confident that all four of these bands will be performing Saturday night.

The last spot could belong to a few different groups, but we see two as the biggest competitors. Cedar Park is the easiest choice. Although Austin provided a rough start for the program, the band rebounded to a clear fourth place at Bedford. With the cancellation of the Waco Regional, we missed an opportunity to perhaps see them named regional champion for the first time ever, but regardless, the band has not missed finals in San Antonio since 2005. It would be hard to count Cedar Park out, but Timber Creek is one of a few up-and-comers we are excited to watch. After their first regional win and their highest Dallas placement yet, Timber Creek is well poised for their first super regional finals. We believe their heartbreaking finish at UIL Area B will serve as perfect encouragement for them to perhaps push into finals this weekend.

There is a slate of former super regional finalists that round out this panel. Each one of them could take a spot in the top five or sneak in through the next four slots. After just barely missing San Antonio finals two years in a row (including last year’s phenomenon of breaking the 90-point threshold and still not making finals), LD Bell is certainly itching to make a reappearance. Just like Timber Creek, Area B results could serve as strong motivation; the last time they did not advance from area, they made San Antonio finals comfortably. Cedar Ridge and Hendrickson have both had solid seasons, but the rising group of bubble bands might make their spots harder to hold onto. Finally, we cannot count Round Rock out. After a disappointing finish last year in San Antonio that turned into a Grand Nationals finals appearance, Round Rock will want to show they are still very much in the game.

Lastly, we want to keep our eye on Westlake and The Woodlands College Park. Their Area results suggest that they want to make the competition even more competitive than it already is. Additionally, Panel 1 contains much of the competition for the 2A championship. Don’t miss Rouse, Weiss, Camdenton, or Lubbock-Cooper.

Panel 2
The second panel also contains four bands that are certain to lock up the top four slots. The Woodlands, Vandegrift, Claudia Taylor Johnson, and Flower Mound will all certainly be performing Saturday night. However, those four will not necessarily make up the top four. Vista Ridge is having a breakout season and will certainly be in the mix of the top five of this panel. After their strong performances at Area H, we are certain think they will help completely lock up the top five slots.

Marcus and James Bowie are dealing with a tough panel, but are perhaps the best candidates of the competition to make finals through the next four slots. James Bowie is having a fantastic season after a series of director changes, and will definitely look for the band’s first single digit placement in San Antonio since their silver medal in 2014. If they were in Panel 1, we would could consider them a lock to advance through that top five. While we do not know what to expect from Marcus this season after Waco’s cancellation, we think they are a comfortable candidate for finals all the same.

The list of bubble bands is enormous from Panel 2. Seven Lakes and Oak Ridge have blown up this fall, putting Houston back on the map as a marching band hot spot. The reality of the depth of San Antonio is not in their favor, but both have fantastic shows that would keep up with the big dogs on Saturday night. If not now, both ensembles are poised to make San Antonio finals soon enough. Pearland, another Houston area band, made dramatic strides in their show last year. Another season like last year could easily shake up predictions and put them in finals. A band south of San Antonio that has never made finals at a super regional, John B. Alexander has had a great season of their own. This might not be their year, but they will very likely get closer than any Valley or Laredo band has since Harlingen last decade. Finally, Coppell has the talent and the creative show design to push toward the top of this group.

Of course, we must mention Prosper. The lone representative of the Lone Star state will of course be pushing for finals this weekend to springboard them into Grand National finals. Again, it’s hard to know if this is the year, considering the depth of competition. However, Round Rock last year proved that getting close enough to San Antonio finals is good enough to put you in finals at Indy.

San Antonio is jam packed with literally nonstop action. Make sure you make it to the Alamodome to miss what is sure to be a historic event. However, if you can’t make it in person FloMarching will stream the entire competition as always, and our partners at txbands.com will liveblog the competition.

Predictions
1. Ronald Reagan H.S., TX
2. Claudia Taylor Johnson H.S., TX
3. Flower Mound H.S., TX
4. Vandegrift H.S., TX
5. Hebron H.S., TX
6. The Woodlands H.S., TX
7. Vista Ridge H.S., TX
8. Leander H.S., TX
9. James Bowie H.S., TX
10. Marcus H.S., TX
11. Keller H.S., TX
12. Cedar Ridge H.S., TX
13. Cedar Park H.S., TX
14. Hendrickson H.S., TX
First Out: Timber Creek H.S., TX

Adjudication Panel
Music: Dave Carbone, Wayne Dillon, Scott Koter, Steve Meyer, John Phillips, Caleb Rothe, W. Dale Warren, and Jay Webb.
Visual: Lee Carlson, Bruce Jones, Greg Llacer, Kyle Miller, Jim Sturgeon, and Michael Turner.
Chief: Gary Markham and Richard Saucedo.