On Monday, October 28th, the Pride of Littleton Marching Band received 2nd place in the 2024 3A State Championships. D’evelyn received first place, surpassing LHS by only 1.25 points. Littleton’s overall score was 77.800, and D’evelyn’s was 78.650.
When asked about what helped fuel the success, section leader and French horn player Emily Valley said, “The drive from the students. We had a few things that really set us back and made us drive harder to get what we got at state… just a willingness to get better the whole time.”
Percussionist Ryan Newton stated, “I think our staff was the biggest thing, because they believed in us the most. I also think after the passing of Jess that really motivated us, because that was his thing: win a state championship…. I think we made him pretty proud.”
After the passing of percussion instructor Jess Quintana, the Marching Band became even closer than previously. His memory pushed them to perform well at State.
“I think we all realized that we were a family together,” Said Valley.
No victory is achieved without practice, struggle, and dedication. After the Semi-finals, band members were left feeling nervous for what State would bring.
“Instead of having free time, we went and did some rehearsal stuff to try and improve,” Said Newton.
Color guard member Zora Young, who was the soloist for the show, said that in order to succeed in state, “We focused and honed in on how this is a performance that’s important to us. This is an activity that we’ve put so much time into.” Their hard work paid off, with their State scores drastically improved from the Semifinals.
“I think I’m really proud of the entire band, because it takes every single person to make that show be a whole.” Said Newton.
Percussionist Caden Bents added, “I’m proud that we were able to give D’evelyn the scare.” The Pride of Littleton did just that.
Now that this Marching Band season is over, a new wave of fresh excitement and hope for next year has come.
Despite being a senior, Young said regarding the 2025 season, “I’m really excited to see what the legacy of this show might be because there were definitely connections built and techniques that were discovered or improved on that we can use to improve next season.”
When asked about what he was looking forward to, Bents simply but confidently replied, “Winning. We are going to win next year.”
Although some were disappointed that LHS didn’t get first, despite being extremely close, there was a lot to be proud of this season. 2nd in the state of Colorado, the Pride of Littleton Marching Band overcame obstacle after obstacle thrown in their way. They gracefully rose up from difficulty through discipline and community, and are so excited for what next season may bring.
