Four of the top marching bands in Texas call Frisco ISD home, returning from UIL state marching competitions as finalists and medalists.
Panther Creek brought home third place and the bronze medal in the 4A state competition — the third consecutive state contest where the program has medaled. In 5A, Wakeland earned third place and a bronze medal, while Lebanon Trail took fourth place and Lone Star placed eighth.
Texas is one of the top states for marching band, and North Texas is home to a particularly high number of strong competitors and overall winners. Texas has 218 schools in 4A, and 253 schools in 5A — so ranking in the top 10 of each of these classes is an enormous achievement.
These achievements wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated directors, school administrators and parents supporting students at every step. Frisco ISD’s student opportunity model also ensures more students have a chance to fight for state success across many programs.
“The success our marching band programs experience is certainly not the norm across the state. And it certainly is not magic. It is the result of our amazing teachers intentionally and consistently pouring into these young musicians each day,” said Pete Hazzard, managing director of fine arts. “It is proof that a robust and relevant fine arts curriculum creates a consistent culture of excellence over time. Our marching programs are second to none because of that intentional developmental process.
“We are extremely proud of all of our FISD students and their incredible directors for this momentous occasion.”
FISD’s state 4A finalist band
Panther Creek High School
Director: Kent Wallis
Assistant directors: Jayden Bernal, Antuon Lopez, Timothy Yap and Katharine Navarro
Drum majors: Dhanya Casavaraju and London Dilloway
Show: “Apparition”
FISD’s state 5A finalist bands
Lebanon Trail High School
Director: Kelly Wykoff
Assistant directors: Matthew Schaul, Mikayla Probst, Benji Baker, Seth Thomas and Desmond Bigler
Drum majors: Teena Thomas, Jake McCoy, Shiloh Kim and Sakura Hatsushiba
Show: “The Rite of Spring”
Lone Star High School
Director: Mark Poole
Assistant directors: Tim Hickman, Christopher Adler, Emilio Monreal, Justin Madrid and Wade Quinn
Drum majors: Garyn Marshall, Hayden Kaiser, Tyler Fields and Zoe Price
Show: “The Journey”
Wakeland High School
Director: Rylon Guidry
Assistant directors: Kyle Ayoub, Kaitlin Norwood, Brian Teed, Aly Baker and Joshua Foust
Drum majors: Cami Smith, Hayden Lee and CJ Uldrich
Show: “Fractured”