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I like your perspective in that last paragraph, I've never really thought of that before but it does make a lot of sense. I think there's a student culture component as well. I can't speak to the band culture now but when I was in years ago I saw a lot variation in terms of how seriously students took practicing, competition, etc. O'Fallon is a great program with great directors/staff, great community/parent support, and an incredible amount of talent. I don't mean to say "something's missing" because objectively they've been consistently doing great post-2021 but I feel like there is the potential for them to move up a tier, just hasn't happened yet for whatever combination of reasons. I really like Morton as a program and I feel like they've been somewhat of a "rival" to O'Fallon for a few years now but they might not cross paths often enough to push each other over the edge.

Ok. Smoke 'em if you got 'em because this is going to be a ride. What I love about this activity is how well the kids treat each other. I went down a rabbit hole on TikTok, and it was amazing to see all the groups across the state supporting each other. Not a single negative comment. Adults take a cue. Here are my thoughts by session. Session A What a log-jam with 1A. I am fully on-board with the result, though. Whenever you watch a block, you see the group that is the game changer. IVC was that for me. For Eureka, I think it was still dark, and my brain was probably not fully functioning. Great get on the music caption. University was the surprise based on the time wasted here. I agree with both the result and caption. They clearly had the vehicle designed for BOA sheets, and their GE score matched Galesburg. Paris just needed to be about 10 percent better across the board. I bet they will be a lot better at BOA. For Morton, I am torn about whether I like the show better in the day or at night. In the sunlight, the white just popped for me in the morning. The musicianship was at a high level, and the solos hit for me. I loved the kids being elevated and flipped. Galesburg fit in as expected. I did love the solos as sufficiently hyped. LSP and Limestone were both in the hunt, but just a touch below Galesburg. Ultimately, I do not have any qualms with the results, and I love how much the groups came to play that early in the morning. Session B Who had Romeoville within a point of Marian on their predictions? Ahead on Music GE? Me neither. Turns out the the block of five starting with Romeoville was decisive. Like I was saying earlier, when Romeoville stepped on, it was clear this was a new class/session. The music was a category difference in that block. I feel bad for Washington. It was clearly such a fun show, but it looks like Music and one Music GE judge was the difference. I just think those above them had a repertoire that was better suited for BOA sheets, and ultimately performance is king. Collinsville and Lemont were an interesting comparison. Lemont much better in music and visual, but GE carries the day on BOA sheets, and in prelims performance especially carried the day for Collinsville. Batavia just a step below both. For Marian, visual ensemble was the only issue. Everything else is there to make a run at a 1A title and be a semifinalist on score. I disagree with it being a staffing issue. Apply the traditional Marian cleaning, and they are set. Bloomington was perhaps my favorite of the day as far interesting and fun. I know their season is over, but their designer may want to add an arguing-with-your-spouse movement and why-do-the-screws-have-this-star-shape-instead-of-a-flathead/Phillips phase. Perhaps end with breaking it and hauling it outside. But the show was super fun. I loved how their kids were so excited during both awards sections. Mascoutah, which borders O'Fallon, is only a few points out as well. They can make some noise in the future. Session C I don't know what happened to Plainfield Central at BOA Iowa, but I knew they were in finals when they came off the field. Looks like they made good use of the judges tapes there. VJA was one of several Western shows on the day, and the best. Loved the music and the music arrangement. Prospect was their traditional excellent selves. Generally crisp. It looks like music individual and visual GE is what held them down, but that is fixable in a week. I really loved both Oswego schools musical arrangements. Who knew Greg Bimm had some skill in that area? For Edwardsville, I get the placement. I want so much more out of them, and they are going to the right places. It just had this lost in the crowd feel. I sat with a mix of Bloomington and Normal parents for Normal's show, and it was great to get the hometown vibe as it was happening. They had a serviceable prelims performance following Prospect, and the two seemed close to me. Plainfield North had a blessing and a curse. Standing in the end zone and having to wait while Avon/Broken Arrow/Flower Mound, etc., does their thing psychologically pushes performance to different end of the bell curve. This is based on pure vibes and nothing scientific. For Plainfield North, they had that task following O'Fallon. They got their heads right, and absolutely rocked it. Second overall in prelims. With O'Fallon, it was great for them that they got to perform second to last as they stadium was packed for awards. Outside of groups that do BOA every year, I don't know how many casual observers see O'Fallon much. i saw mouths agape and such. I had not seen their show with costuming, and they should have something to say at BOA StL and Grand Nats. FINALS Collinsville: Small margins are tough in finals, and everyone has to fight the happy-to-be-here phenomenon. i really did not have issues with the run. Just need more energy, which is tough after a long day. Galesburg: Same as above. These are hairline differences. IVC: Not just happy to be there. Who picked this placement? Lemont: Score was quite consistent across prelims/finals, and great job on improving placement. Plainfield Central: I really like this show. It frames the field well, and lets both the music and visual components shine when they are the focus. Oswego: Clearly not a surprise finalist. What do we know? GE got them the placement, and that matters on BOA sheets. VJA: The top of this cluster in both prelims and finals. Earned it. The history on some of these groups is amazing. 28 times a finalist. That means at no point was there some craziness that shut down the program or booster issues or big enough staff problems. They come to play every single year. That is awesome in my book. Eyes with pride! Romeoville: Peak performance. They could have fallen into to the happy-to-be-here trap after winning the class. But they sent out the departing direction with a performance for the ages. Bloomington: Watching the kids in the stands across the field was worth the trip. It was as though they announced them as lottery recipients. I hope they have a great party. They seem up to it. Marian: I like the show. i actually get it for a change. The growth module is again right on track. Tidy up the visual end of it, and they are golden. Same as above with VJA. Every year they are here and have won their class since 1980. Think of all the changes in the world since then. Wow! Prospect: I have always loved Prospect visually, the flip turn to go from the lighter colored uniform fronts to the back black always hits for me. I remember them winning visual at BOA St. Louis in finals years ago. They can well be in finals this week at BOA. Plainfield North: If I told you this group has been a BOA regional finalist exactly one time, would you believe me? I would not believe myself. Please go to BOA as much as possible. Normal: You want to see a group that is well led? Look at this one. Improved finals placement both the past two weeks. Multiple practices at Hancock Stadium leading up to this contest. (Must be great to live in, well, Normal). Didn't melt after following O'Fallon. Go to Grand Nationals. Do it. Morton: I do not care what the scoring says. This is the best show they have ever had. Scoring an 83 on a BOA sheet and improving from prelims cements them as BOA StL finalist, a GN semi-finalist and perhaps more. They are in the conversation for top half this week. Ahead of O'Fallon in both music and visual individual. Non-meaningful differences in music total and visual total. This show will turn some heads at BOA. Will be best across classes of UIUC. Indeed, not bad for a 2A band. O'Fallon: I will show my cards. On the negative side, I think the prelim performance was better. But that might just me being dumb about crowd reaction. Regardless, they slayed the dragon. The following in the inaccurate mindset of the area: Recognition of anything in the Metro East is tough. People in Missouri assume it is all inner city or farm land. Chicagoland is generally unaware that the state exists south of I-80. Elsewhere tends to look toward Chicago. It take an East St. Louis football dynasty or something of the like (O'Fallon girls soccer ... I kid.) But O'Fallon did in the toughest venue possible for them. It has always felt like a curse. 1980-scored above a group in class that was in finals but were out; (need to fill in 1985-95 information), 1996-top Lincoln-Way at at EIU and out of finals; 1998-no finals, then top Lincoln-Way at UIUC a week later. Back in finals in 2001-02, and then staff chaos. 2011, 2012, and 2014-in finals but end up behind groups they top later at BOA. 2017-weather Gods. 2018-0.1 behind a better Lincoln-Way. But now they have done it. It was so amazing to watch their drum majors walk over to where they were sitting with the trophy. Despite a firm policy of no-yelling-for-yourself (even for parents), they were allowed to shout something from the soul: "What town? O-TOWN!" What's left? Consistent GN finalist. I am convinced they need Collinsville, Edwardsville, Belleville East, or Belleville West, etc., to be Super Regionalist finalist quality to get there. Nothing made Marian better than Lake Park. Avon needs Carmel. The Lewisville and Leander ISD schools need each other.