Warrenton band/orchestra crowned state champions
The Warrenton High School band/orchestra had to wait until all the scores were tabulated to figure out their placing in the 2024 Oregon School Activities Association state championships.
The wait was worth it.
After South Umpqua received a five-point time penalty, the Warriors were crowned state champions for 3A. The Warriors, directed by Michael McClure, brought the first-place prize back to the coast with a score of 241.
The competition included bands performing their own choreographed music, plus a piece of music not seen or learned before called a sight reading. The sight reading is where Warrenton made their mark. The Warriors trailed South Umpqua by eight points after all three judges scored their performance. However, the Warriors scored a 45 on the sight reading, while South Umpqua scored a 40 and also incurred a five-second penalty.
The top four scorers for 3A were Warrenton, South Umpqua, Neah-Kah-Nie and Sutherlin.
Warrenton were joined in Corvallis by Astoria High School and Jewell High School. The Fishermen competed in 4A, while Jewell competed in 2A/1A.
For 4A, the top five teams were North Bend, Gladstone, Scappoose, La Grande and Henley. Bandon High School were the champions for 2A/1A with a score of 286.
