Although last season was cut short, The Pride Marching Band is hopeful to finish the marching season strong.

    With the contribution of everyone’s hard work this season, the band traveled to Gulfport for state evaluation and qualified to make it to the state competition in Pearl on October 30. This is the first time in seven years.

      After much thought and consideration from all categories of the band, the performance theme this year is called “Shattered.”

   “This year’s theme is ‘Shattered,’ and it’s a play on Snow White and what happens once the queen dies and then comes back to life so it ultimately plays on the mirror being the bad guy,” guard sponsor Krysten West said.

   While head band director Daniel Herndon was an assistant last year, he has stepped up to the head position and has seen many improvements.   

   “ I have always seen them as a diamond in the rough that just needed to be brushed off and this year they started to shine more than ever,” Herndon said.

     Now that the band gets to have a normal season this year, drum major Jacob Eubanks is looking forward to being able to participate and be involved with his team.

  “I only got to perform once and that was at the Jamboree, so being able to go out there and actually perform and have a great show makes me feel awesome about this year,” Eubanks said.

   Eubanks is not the only one looking forward to a sense of normalcy this season, senior color guard member Lexi McKissick has not had a normal year since the 10th grade, so this season she is doing all that she can to contribute to the success of her team. 

   “I’m just doing the best that I can right now because it’s been a struggle since COVID has hit, but just trying to stay active and do my best work that I can,” Mckissick said.

   The first competition of the year was held in Biloxi, where the color guard team placed first in their school division and third overall.

   The Pride also placed in the Top 10 in Petal with their overall scoring rising five points from their first competition. 

        “The students, I couldn’t ask more of them, they constantly push and push back as much as I push at them, they give me more energy and they have performed every aspect of their show that I could have asked,” Herndon said.