Legacy High band wins state championship

Brooklyn Dance, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·1 min read

Nov. 4—After enduring bad weather, a pandemic and hiring a new director in recent years, Legacy High School band left its own legacy this year.

The band won the Colorado Band Association State Championship for 5A schools last weekend at Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The band received a score of 87.70, just .70 points more than runner-up Fossil Ridge High School.

The win was especially poignant for Legacy after the past few years it's had, the band's booster board spokesperson Sheela Mahnke said.

In 2018, a blizzard cut the state championship short, only allowing the band one chance to compete — in the blizzard. Legacy scored 86.15, coming in second to Fossil Ridge's score of 86.60. In 2019, the championships were completely canceled due to weather, and in 2020, there was no marching band season because of the pandemic, Mahnke said. This summer, the band's beloved director Clay Stanberry stepped down after 17 years.

"Dr. Brian Ebert, who had been the Assistant Director of Bands under Mr. Stansberry, stepped into Mr. Stansberry's giant shoes midstride and took on the enormous responsibility of Director of Bands, never missing a beat," Mahnke wrote in an email.

The band continued practicing its show "Icarus Set Free," which tells the story of Icarus trapped in a labyrinth until he sees a bird and is able to fly away. Legacy consistently came in second place behind Fossil Ridge throughout the season, "so they practiced more," Mahnke said, adding "their dedication and hard work paid off."

"Congratulations to our very own band for winning STATE!! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!!" Legacy High's student government shared on its Facebook page.