In this week’s second installment of predictions, we take a look at the bands competing in Champaign this weekend. The U of I contest is broken into 4 classes, and has two events: a competitive parade, and a field show portion. This contest is, in some ways, like two separate contests: there are two Grand Champion trophies, one for classes B-C/D, and one for classes A-AA. While the parade judges are consistent across all bands, the field show portion uses different judges for B-C/D and A-AA, and thus, field scores are not directly comparable between the two. For the Grand Championship, the field show score is multiplied by 3, and then added to the parade score, making the field show worth 75% of the overall score, and thus, the more important of the two events.

This show culminates with one awards ceremony at the end. We intend to post the results as soon as possible, but they may be delayed, especially in terms of captions. Score sheets will likely be available within about a week.

General Show Information
Field Schedule
Parade Schedule

And now, on to predicting each class/event:

• Class C/D Parade
  Atwood-Hammond has built a great tradition at U of I in Class C/D, and will likely continue that this year. Often, their scores are competitive with, or even higher than, many Class B: last year, their score would have put them in second place in Class B Parade, ahead of Dunlap and IVC. The C/D parade is intersting in that it takes place AFTER the field show for those bands, which means that they must go after all of the B, A, and AA schools.
  Our Pick – Atwood-Hammond

• Class B Parade
  Only five bands are competing in the parade – Eureka will not be, as they are competing at ISU as well. An interesting thing to note about the parade: the parade winner has taken home the Governor’s Trophy in this class every year since at least 1999 (and possibly longer), even though a different band won the field show in 2001 and 2003. So don’t let this part of the contest seem unimportant – in tight field scores, this could very well pull a band up from second to first. Dunlap had a decent showing in Metamora’s parade last week (which Macomb opted not to participate in), and is no longer marching freshmen, making them a tough competitor for this spot. Also, don’t count out Newton, who has yet to see most of the Class B bands yet this year. At press time, we couldn’t confirm whether Mater Dei was or was not participating in the parade, but if so, look for them to be a competitor in placement as well.
  Our Pick – Dunlap

• Class A Parade
  Galesburg’s ability to parade won them the tough Metamora contest, and it could very well win them top honors in this event as well. But don’t forget about Highland, who only competes in the parade (and not the field portion), and who has won the parade several years in a row, including over Galesburg and another favorite, Mahomet-Seymour, last year. We have to go with the band with the strongest U of I parading track record, but if Galesburg or Mahomet-Seymour can pull this one out, it wouldn’t surprise us in the least. This may be THE class to watch in parade. Our Pick – Highland
• Class AA Parade
  Prospect will probably run away with this one – many of their fellow suburban bands aren’t making the early-morning trip to compete. Our Pick – Prospect
• Class C/D Field
  Atwood-Hammond narrowly won this show last year – by a margin of 0.33 over ROWVA. We think they will probably do it again, but ROWVA could give them a run for it. Also, watch Watseka and Tri-Valley if you get the chance. Our Pick – Atwood-Hammond
• Class B Field (Message Board)
  Dunlap, Eureka, Macomb, Mater Dei, and Newton are the bands to watch here. Dunlap did beat Macomb last week, but Macomb did perform earlier, and has traditionally worked up well towards this contest. Eureka may have a rough day ahead of them, with a really early morning at ISU before the trip to Memorial Stadium. Mater Dei and Newton make up the Southern Illinois contingent in this top five, but Dunlap and Macomb will probably fill out the top two in this class. Our Pick – Macomb
• Class A Field (Message Board)
  Morton is one of the most exciting stories of the year. A band that was on no one’s radar just two years ago (and last year was mostly noted for their percussion) has won two Grand Championships over bands such as United Township, IVC, and defending Class A Champion Mahomet-Seymour. This website has picked against Morton four times this year, and we’ve been proven wrong twice (and one of those predictions is for this week, so we’re 1-2 on Morton). This class will certainly be interesting to watch – possible top-3 candidates are Morton, Galesburg, Waterloo, Geneseo, Pontiac, Washington, and Mahomet-Seymour. With such a broad class, it’s hard to make a pick, but Morton has earned their recognition, and they are probably one of the most motivated bands in the state this year.
  Our Pick – Morton

• Class AA Field
  One of these years, somebody is going to beat Prospect at U of I. This, however, will not be that year. Prospect scored higher than Hersey, likely their closest competition, at Lake Park, and since, has only had more time to improve. Prospect has not lost so far this season, and we don’t expect them to this time, either. What will be interesting in this class will be the contest for third place: suburban bands like A.A. Stagg, William Fremd, and Alan B. Shepard will take on Alton, a matchup you’re unlikely to see at any other show in quite a few years.
  Our Pick – Prospect