September 27, 2013
Predictions for the weekend of September 27, 2013
Filed under: — Dan Balash @ 2:03 pm

Week 4 is now here, and we have a busy weekend for predictions.  Let’s get right to them!

Mt. Zion Marching Music Games: Mt. Zion, IL

Class 1A:  We think Atwood-Hammond is going to continue their strong year and win this class. Look for Okaw Valley to be a very close 2nd with Arcola taking 3rd.
Class 2A:  Sullivan had a great showing last week and we think they will capture the class in 2A.  After that it could be very close, but we’ll go with Central A&M and Sangamon Valley rounding out the Top 3.
Class 3A:  Lincoln was only 1 point away from Streator last week.  We feel they can win this class with Mattoon taking 2nd and Olympia taking 3rd.
Class 4A:  Monticello has fared well the last few years and should be able to win this class.  Newton will be right on their heels in 2nd, with Pekin in 3rd.  Pekin was very close to Rock Island last week so we won’t be surprised if 2nd and 3rd here are switched.
Monticello is also doing the parade, and we feel they will take the Grand Champion Award.

 

Danville Viking Invitational: Danville, IL

Class 1A:  El Paso-Gridley and Oblong will battle it out for 1st and 2nd.  We feel that EPG has the benefit of going last and will help them over the hump to 1st.  St. Joseph-Ogden will take the 3rd place award.
Class 2A:  Charleston and Paris will be neck and neck, but we think Paris will take the class crown.  Urbana should be able to grab 3rd place, but it will be close with Watseka.
Class 3A:  Paxton-Buckley-Loda had a great run at Monticello and we think that streak will continue.  Look for them to take the class crown with Herscher not far behind.
Class 4A:  All Champaign Central.
Champaign Central will be named Grand Champion.

 

McKendree Preview of Champions: Lebanon, IL

Class 1A – This may be the only class in the entire state in which the make up of the bands is the same for the 3rd year in a row.  The order has swapped each of the last 2 years and we think this year will be no different.  We look for Orchard Farm to take 1st here, followed by Johnston City, with Carlyle in 3rd.
Class 2A – This is a rematch from last week of Salem vs. Murphysboro.  With the exception of one  judge, Salem was right on their heels.  We feel it will be the same story here, with Murphysboro pulling away enough and taking the class championship.  Look for Centralia to take 3rd here.
Class 3A – Vandalia had some good music scores last week.  Mater Dei usually marches very well and we feel that will help them overtake Vandalia and win the class crown this year.  Look for St. Charles, MO to round out the Top 3.
Class 1A-3A Grand Champion:  The winner of 2A will probably be named Grand Champion, whether it’s Salem or Murphysboro.  We feel this will be Murphysboro.
Class 4A – Collinsville has been getting better and we think they will win 1st place in 4A with Mehlville taking 2nd and Marion continuing their successful year with a 3rd place finish.
Class 5A – Granite City didn’t fare as well as we thought in Edwardsville but we think they will turn it around and win here.  Triad and Seckman will take 2nd and 3rd but could very well be interchangeable, as last week they were only .08 away from each other.
Class 6A – These 2 went head to head at Edwardsville last week and the results should probably stay the same.  Belleville East will take it all, we think.

Belleville East will be named Class 4A-6A Grand Champion.

 

Geneseo Maple Leaf Classic: Geneseo, IL

Class 1A: All 4 of these bands are making their 2013 debut here.  Rockridge also has a new director.  Going back to last year’s results, Cambridge/Rockridge/Wethersfield all met up here, with Rockridge with a slight victory over Wethersfield.  Alwood/Cambridge and Wethersfield all met up at the WIU Marching Band Classic last year, with Wethersfield with a 4 point victory over AlWood in 2nd.  Should be a close one here, but we think Wethersfield will win the class, Rockridge 2nd, and AlWood 3rd.

Class 2A: Last year, these 3 bands all met up, with Davenport North 5th, Streator 6th and ROWVA 7th in the class.  Streator has had a resurgent season so far, and Davenport North and ROWVA are both making their season debuts here, and ROWVA also has a new director.  We think Streator Township will win this class, with Davenport North close behind.  ROWVA rounds out the class in 3rd.

Class 3A:  Interesting class here.  Galesburg makes their 2013 debut here, with Oak Park/River Forest, Dunlap, Macomb and United Township all having competed at least once so far, with United Township and Dunlap both earning a 3rd place finish in their respective classes at Morton.  We think United Township will win their first class title of the year, with Dunlap in 2nd, and Macomb rounding out the top 3.

Grand Champion: United Township looks to earn their first title of the year.

 

Wheaton North Falcon Marching Band Festival: Wheaton, IL

A smaller than anticipated show here.  Granted, there is also the show up the road a bit in DeKalb and a show in the southwest suburbs in New Lenox.

Class 2A: Wheeling looks to win the crowd over with yet another crowd-pleasing show and continue another strong season here with their first class title of the year.  Wheaton Warrenville South and Glenbard West will fight for 2nd, with WWS with a slight edge this season, and Glenbard West will be 3rd.

Class 3A: Huntley has had a 3rd place finish and a 2nd place finish so far this year in their class.  We think they’ll take this class, followed by Plainfield East in 2nd, and Oswego, making their return to competition for the first time in many years, in 3rd.

Grand Champion: This is really a tough call between the 2A winner and 3A winner.  We’ll give the nod to Wheeling, based on their 3rd place finish two weeks ago at the Lake Park Lancer Joust.

 

Red and Black Fall Classic: DeKalb, IL

Class 1A: Only band here.  Marengo.

Class 2A: This will be an interesting class.  Fenton and Willowbrook are both competing for the first time in recent memory (possibly the first time ever for Fenton), and Metea Valley is apparently marching competitively for the first time here-they’ve always marched this show before, but always in exhibition.  We think Yorkville will take this class, followed by Rochelle Township and Metea Valley in 3rd.

Class 3A: Prairie Ridge and Fremd have both competed this year-Fremd at the Lancer Joust and Prairie Ridge at Grayslake North.  PR finished 2nd in their class, and Fremd 10th.  Maine East did not compete last year, so them and Cedar Rapids Jefferson are both kind of wild cards.  DeKalb popped a few nice scores last year, and defeated Prairie Ridge in a close contest last year at Marengo.  This will be a close class, but we think DeKalb will take the class here, followed by Prairie Ridge and Fremd in 3rd.

Class 4A: Prospect will take this class with relative ease.  The real story here is the battle for 2nd and 3rd.  Warren Township had a great start to their season last weekend, and we think they’ll be 2nd here.  Plainfield Central, Oak Creek and Neuqua Valley will duke it out for 3rd, with Plainfield Central in a close one.

Grand Champion: Prospect will win their 2nd title of this early season.

 

Providence Catholic Marching Band Invitational: New Lenox, IL

Class 1A: Lincoln-Way West looks to repeat as class champions here and win their 2nd class title of the season.  Evergreen Park will be 2nd, and Dwight D. Eisenhower in a close one over Thornwood.

Class 2A: This will be interesting.  Victor J. Andrew and Lincoln-Way East both started off their seasons with surprising results: VJA 8th at Lake Park, LWE 3rd in their class at CMBF.  Adding Munster to the mix makes things even more fun.  Munster is a 2 time ISSMA Class B State Finalist, and they will be competing here and at Prospect next weekend.  They won their class last weekend at the Concord Invitational in Indiana by a healthy margin.  Both this class and 3A are really a tossup.  We’ll give Lincoln-Way East the nod in a close battle with Victor J. Andrew 2nd and Munster 3rd.

Class 3A: This class is also a tossup.  Joliet West, Huntley and Rock Island have both earned 3rd place finishes in class so far this year, and Romeoville has earned a 2nd place finish in class.  Downers Grove South has not had the best of starts to their season, with a 7th place and a 5th place finish in class so far this season-they were only .3 out of Lake Park finals, however.  We think Downers Grove South will turn it around and win this class, with Huntley 2nd, and a fun Rock Island narrowly defeating Romeoville for 3rd.

Grand Champion:  Lincoln-Way East

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