Allegany band wins Atlantic Coast Championship
Nov. 9—CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Allegany High School marching band made school history Saturday, winning its first Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championship.
The competition, held at Central Dauphine High School's Landis Field in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, included more than 100 bands.
Allegany led all Group 1 open bands with a score of 96.50, and placed first in all caption awards, including Best Music, Best Visual, Best Auxiliary and Best Percussion.
"It was amazing to see. I couldn't be prouder," said Larry Jackson, the school's band director for 28 years. "They were so good."
Allegany's 2021 field show was titled "Gravity," a program designed to "take us back to the people, activities and things that we all love," according to Jackson. The program includes music composed by Phillip Glass, Elliott Goldenthal, Sara Barielles and Carol Britton Chambers and was arranged by Jackson, Chris Kellermeyer, assistant band director, and Mark Gauthier, percussion caption head, with Matt Stoops directing the color guard.
Upon its return to Cumberland Sunday evening, the band was met at Rocky Gap by a host of first responders, including police and fire vehicles, which escorted them back to the school on Haystack Mountain.
"We showed up at the school and had a huge group waiting for us and cheering," Jackson said. "It was amazing ... we did a victory run through." The band gave the crowd assembled a performance of the award-winning "Gravity" program.
Principal Heidi Laupert and Jeff Blank, superintendent of schools, and numerous administrative personnel, teachers and coaches were present.
"It was a great turnout," said Laupert. "There were a lot of alumni there and that says a lot about his program. It shows what a great program Larry Jackson has put together. There were graduates and parents of graduates. They worked hard and the kids, Larry and Matt (Stoops), everyone ... they really deserve it."
Allegany has competed in the competition 24 times and finished second five times, third six times and in the top five 17 times, scoring above 90 in every appearance, never finishing below 10th.
"We've always been knocking at the door but we never got in there," said Jackson. "We've been second place and third place but we never had placed first. But we did this year and it was awesome. I think we're only the third high school from Maryland to win an ACC championship title."
"You have to qualify to get there," said Laupert. "You are something special just to get there. When you get to that level, all of those bands are good."
The Allegany band consists of 30 playing members and 16 color guard members. It is led by Genevieve Batman, drum major; Noah Logsdon, battery percussion; Daniel Schneider, pit percussion leader and Anna Martz, winds section leader.
"It was a really hard working group of kids, especially coming out of COVID," said Jackson. "It was one of the smaller bands I've ever had, but they overcame it."
Other members of the 2021 band staff were Timmy Growden, guard tech assistant; Jon Louthian, drill design; Brian Records, percussion tech assistant, and Reid Smith, marching caption head.
"They start July 1 and they are there 10 to 12 hours a day," said Laupert. "The band parents, the booster group, you can't forget them. They take my breath away."
Allegany has won 10 Maryland State Championships between 1994 and 2004 and finished as the top scoring Maryland High School Marching Band for the fall marching season 11 times since 2004.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter.
