Kentucky State Marching Band Championships

The Kentucky State Marching Band Championships are an annual contest held by the Kentucky Music Educators Association that takes place each fall over the course of several weeks to determine the Kentucky high school marching band champion in five respective classes.

Origins

The Kentucky State Marching Band Championships first began as we know them today in 1986 when the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) first sponsored the event, with the Finals held at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. Before 1986 several other contests claimed to be the Kentucky state championship such as Murray State’s Festival of Champions and Middle Tennessee State University’s Contest of Champions. The first state champions were George Rogers Clark High School (AAAA), Glasgow High School (AAA), Bremen High School (AA), and Adair County High School(A). Also, that year, AAAA champion George Rogers Clark was awarded the Overall Grand Champion title. However, this "overall champion" concept was discarded after the first year, and since then, state champions have been considered by the association to be equal in stature.

The KMEA championships have been held each year in late October and occasionally early November, with one exception. In 1993, incliment weather forced the cancellation of the final round, and class championships were determined by bands' placements in the semifinals earlier in the day.

Format

Prior to the start of each marching season all Kentucky marching bands are grouped into 5 different classes (A, AA, AAA, AAAA, AAAAA) based on the size of the bands respective high schools (before 2005 bands were grouped into 4 classes based on band size instead of school size). Starting in September all bands have the opportunity to participate in contests throughout the state that have been sanctioned by KMEA, those bands that earn a proficient rating (any score above 60) are then allowed to continue to regional competitions within their classes that take place in mid-to late October. During regional competition 16 bands from each class (the top 8 scoring bands from the east and west region) advance to the state semifinals which take place the following week. After Semifinals the top 4 scoring bands from each class advance to the state finals held later that evening. The 20 remaining bands (4 from each class) then perform one last time. After all performances have concluded the top scoring bands from each class are then named State Champions.

Winners

Since 1986, the most state titles won by a school (regardless of class) has been by Adair County, which has won 18 titles (the most recent coming in 2007), including a string of ten straight from 1986 to 1995. The longest winning streak, however, belongs to the second-place finisher in the titles category. Lafayette High School won 13 of its 14 titles in a span from 1990 to 2002.

The 20 highest scores in state finals history are as follows:

1. 1999 4A Lafayette 97.25

2. 2003 4A Dunbar 96.75

3. 1999 3A Harrison Co. 96.35

4. 1996 4A Lafayette 96.23

5. 2000 4A Lafayette 96.16

6. 2007 3A Adair Co. 96.11

7. 1989 4A North Hardin 95.71

8. 2003 4A Lafayette 95.65 (Runner-up)

9. 1988 4A North Hardin 95.60

10. 1992 4A Lafayette 95.58

11. 2006 5A Lafayette 95.30

12. 1991 4A Lafayette 95.23

13. 2004 4A Dunbar 95.12

14. 1996 3A Harrison Co. 94.75

15. 2007 5A Dunbar 94.70

16. 1994 4A Lafayette 94.53

17. 2007 5A Lafayette 94.48 (Runner-Up)

18. 1991 4A George Rogers Clark 94.43 (Runner-up)

19. 1989 4A Lafayette 94.11 (Runner-up)

20. 1999 1A Marion Co. 94.10 (tie)

20. 1998 3A Elizabethtown 94.10 (tie)

20. 1994 2A Adair Co. 94.10 (tie)

AAAA/AAAAA Championship History

Early North Hardin Success

After George Rodgers Clark won the first state title in 4A, a period elapsed in which North Hardin High School won each year from 1987-1989, with Lafayette High School finishing closely behind in second or third. However in 1990 North Hardin’s director Craig Cornish left for a newly constructed high school in Lexington named Paul Laurence Dunbar. With the momentary setback to their program, North Hardin fell out of the championship race as Lafayette won their first state title during the 1990 season.

Lafayette Dominance

What followed is considered by many as the greatest period of dominance in Kentucky state marching band history in which Lafayette (first under the direction of J. Steven Moore, then Charles Smith) won class 4A for each of the next 13 years (although many others would claim that Adair County’s 18 state titles in the smaller classes are far more impressive). During this run Lafayette would record some of the highest scores in finals history.

Paul Laurence Dunbar's entrance into 4A and the Reemergence of North Hardin

Beginning in 1992 Paul Laurence Dunbar High School moved from class 3A to class 4A and proved a worthy adversary to Lafayette, finishing second or third every year through the rest of the decade. Also in 1993 North Hardin rebounded from several disappointing years with a second place finish in finals. However despite North and Dunbar’s success, Lafayette still remained seemingly untouchable. As the 1990’s drew to a close the period from 1996-2000 cemented what is widely considered one of, if not the greatest rivalry in Kentucky marching history in which North Hardin placed 2nd behind Lafayette 5 consecutive years in a row, 3 of which the difference between the two was less than 1 point.

North’s departure and the end of the Lafayette Era

Following several years of close rivalry for various reasons in 2001 North Hardin stopped competing in the state championships, which opened the door for Paul Laurence Dunbar to become the sole challenger to Lafayette. After a close finish in 2002 Dunbar finally defeated Lafayette in the 2003 state finals and ended the 13 year Lafayette run. The school would go on to also win the next 2 championships in ’04 and ’05, tying North’s mark of 3 titles in a row from the late 1980’s.

The 2006 finals and beyond

The 2006 finals marked the 20 year anniversary of the KMEA state marching band championships. Going into the competition many people believed that 5A was solely a two band race between Dunbar and Lafayette, and that, although very good, Lafayette’s time had ended and given way to Dunbar’s new era. Both notions however were proven false when Lafayette defeated Paul Laurence Dunbar to win their 14th title, and the 3rd place finisher, North Hardin, placed only 3 tenths of a point behind Dunbar, proving that neither of the top bands were unbeatable. The 2007 finals were full of surprises. The event was held in Louisville for the first time since 1987 and at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium for the first time ever. In class A, Williamstown regained the title after trailing Beechwood for the majority of the regular season. Cumberland County also made its first appearance in finals. In Class 2A, Muhlenberg South won its first state title in only its second finals appearance. In class 5A, Dunbar overcame a 3rd place finish at regionals and a 2nd place finish at semi-finals to win its 5th state title. Lafayette, North Hardin, and Madison Central followed. 2008 should be an exciting year. Will Lafayette retake the 5A crown? Will Bob Gregg remain at Williamstown to pursue his 7th state championship? Will Adair Co. continue its dominance of class 3A? What little-known band is waiting to emerge as a dominant force in the years to come? All of these and many more questions will be answered in the 2008 marching season.

List Of Champions

*1986: Adair County(A) Bremen(AA) Glasgow (AAA) George Rodgers Clark(AAAA)
*1987: Campbellsville(A) Adair County(AA) Meade County (AAA) North Hardin(AAAA)
*1988: Bremen(A) Bowling Green (AA) Adair County(AAA) North Hardin(AAAA)
*1989: Hazard(A) Madison Central (AA) Adair County(AAA) North Hardin(AAAA)
*1990: Beechwood(A) Adair County(AA) Dixie Heights(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1991: Madison Southern(A) Adair County(AA) Paul Laurence Dunbar(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1992: Madison Southern(A) Adair County(AA) Central Hardin(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1993: Pleasure Ridge Park(A) Adair County(AA) Elizabethtown(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1994: Hazard(A) Adair County(AA) Elizabethtown(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1995: Grant County(A) Adair County(AA) Elizabethtown(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1996: Nicholas County(A) Mercer County(AA) Harrison County(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1997: Nicholas County(A) Adair County(AA) Elizabethtown(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1998: Hazard(A) Grant County(AA) Elizabethtown(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*1999: Marion(A) Adair County(AA) Harrison County(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*2000: Nicholas County(A) Adair County(AA) Harrison County(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*2001: Boyle County(A) Adair County(AA) Daviess County(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*2002: Boyle County(A) Harrison County(AA) George Rodgers Clark(AAA) Lafayette(AAAA)
*2003: Boyle County(A) Harrison County(AA) Russell County(AAA) Paul Laurence Dunbar(AAAA)
*2004: Williamstown(A) Adair County(AA) Madison Central(AAA) Paul Laurence Dunbar(AAAA)
*2005: Williamstown(A) Mercer County(AA) Adair County(AAA) Madisonville-North Hopkins(AAAA) Paul Laurence Dunbar(AAAAA)
*2006: Beechwood(A) Mercer County(AA) Adair County(AAA) Madisonville-North Hopkins(AAAA) Lafayette(AAAAA)
*2007: Williamstown(A) Muhlenberg South(AA) Adair County(AAA) Madisonville-North Hopkins(AAAA) Paul Laurence Dunbar(AAAAA)

Facts/Trivia

*Out of the top 20 (actually 22 because of the 3 way tie for #20) scores the old 4A/ new 5A class has by far the most with 16 (73%), 3A has 4 (18%), 2A has 1 (5%), 1A has 1 (5%).
*There are 4 scores in the top 20 that were runner up scores.
*Lafayette has more top 20 scores than any one else with 10 (45%) with Dunbar 2nd with 3 (14%) and North Hardin, Adair Co., and Harrison Co. 3rd with 2 (9%).
*There have been 362 performances in state finals.
*There have been 91 state championship winners.
*69 schools have performed in finals competition.
*58 schools have been in finals more than once.
*11 schools have been in finals 10 or more times.
*2 schools have been in finals each of the 22 years of its existence (Lafayette and Adair County).
*29 schools have won a state championship.
*5 schools have won 5 or more state championships (Harrison County,Adair County, Lafayette, Dunbar, and Elizabethtown).
*North Hardin is the only band from the west region to win a championship in the largest class (4A/5A)
*Adair Co. has won the most state titles in KMEA history.

References

The Kentucky Bands Website - kyband.com [http://www.kyband.com]