This past weekend, the Knightrpride marching band won Best Percussion and Best Color Guard at their first competition of the year in O’Fallon, Illinois. This is the fifth consecutive year winning Best Color Guard, but Knightpride hasn’t won Best Percussion in several years.

“I was pretty excited,”said Patrick Cradick. “Our color guard usually does well and so does percussion.”

15 to 20 bands competed in last weekend’s competition and played for various awards with the highest award of Grand Champion. Marching bands are judged on basic skill set, visual and marching technique, and overall effect of the music.

“For our first Saturday out, I think we did really well,” said band director, Paul Ahlemeyer.

In the middle of July, Knightpride started practicing for this competition and since then they have had after school practices four days a week for about three hours.

“[The most rewarding part] was not the awards, but finally getting out to the competition and getting that feeling from competing you don’t get anywhere else,” said Ahlemeyer.