Lucas Oil Stadium... Here We Come!

This past Saturday, October 30, 2021, was a long but super exciting day for the Spirit of Woodlan! The morning began at 7:50am with practice on the field in the cold and drizzly weather. The students were greeted by Cleopatra paddles with their names lining the walkway to the band doors. They brought an unexpected energy with them, and their music sounded amazing! They were ready to give Semi-State competition all they had! After practice, they loaded into buses and headed to Franklin, IN. It was a cold and dreary morning, and many students were glad they brought blankets with them on the bus!

On the way to Franklin, the buses stopped at a rest area just outside Gas City, and everyone enjoyed a lunch of ham and turkey sliders on Hawaiian buns, fruit, veggies, chips, and ONE Cleopatra cookie (no sugar overload for these kids this week!). They ate inside the rest area to get out of the cold and drizzle.

The Spirit of Woodlan band and guard arrived at Franklin Community High School ready to compete in the ISSMA Semi-State Competition. Some anxiety still lingered among the students (and parents, too!) after their performance at Regionals. However, this group of kids has worked incredibly hard over the last two weeks to clean up mistakes and perfect their show. So, even while anxiety still lingered about, they were filled with excitement and determination to go out and perform their very best! Soon, it was time to show the judges an amazing performance! They looked and sounded amazing, and the parents couldn’t scream any louder their support for these amazing kids! They left the field feeling accomplished and excited for a job well done. What a great feeling!

A few of us pit crew parents decided to have a little bit of fun with the Cleopatra theme, and donned our Cleopatra jewelry, headpieces, and makeup. Even a few brave dads joined the fun!

What a sharp looking crew!

Emmalee was riding in style!

It's GO time!

After changing out of uniforms and packing up the trucks, the students gathered in the stands to watch the remaining bands in our class perform and wait for awards. They bundled together under their snuggly blankets and found ways to entertain each other by swapping coats and hats and sharing gloves. The students all lit up their cell phones and waved, encouraging the parents to do the same, and we did. They had a fun time together as always!

It was now time for the Awards program! Eeek! Excitement and nerves were at an all-time high! There was so much suspense in the air, as we listened for the bands that would be advancing on to state, called out in order of performance. We counted on our fingers the spots that were already taken, until that fantastic announcer man called out, “Woodlan!” Whew!!! What relief, joy, excitement, and pride we all felt for the opportunity to advance to State Marching Band Finals next Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis! The students hugged each other excitedly, picked each other up, and jumped up and down in relief and excitement. We get the chance to march on another week!

After loading the buses, the band and guard headed to CiCi’s Pizza for a pizza dinner buffet before heading home to Woodburn. As the buses approached Love’s Truck Stop, the students were awoken, the lights on the buses turned on, and the celebrating began. The buses were met at the truck stop by two police officers and loads of parents who came out at midnight to support these kids! The students put down the windows on the buses and screamed at anyone around (yes, including the corn fields!) that they WERE GOING TO STATE!!! The police cars escorted the buses through Woodburn to the high school with full lights and sirens on. The parents honked their horns endlessly and it was an exciting celebration! It was a long and tiring day, but incredibly exciting and wonderful at the same time. The students are so excited to get the opportunity to perform at Lucas Oil Stadium next Saturday, and are ready to put more hard work into practices this week.

Seeing the loooong line of parents waiting at the truck stop gave me goosebumps!!!

A group of kids waited on the corner to cheer on the band!

It would be wonderful if you could all join us in supporting these amazing kids next Saturday, November 6, 2021 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Class D starts the day off bright and early, and we will be performing right in the middle of our class. We are scheduled to perform at 11am, with the awards program starting at 12:30pm. Please help support and encourage these kids this week for a job well done this season and to give it everything they have this week at State! It’s going to be an exciting adventure!!! STATEBOUND!!!