On the road with the Sho-Me Band

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

By AMBER HORNBECK, Staff Writer

The Poplar Bluff HIgh School Sho-Me Band hit the road last Saturday to compete in their first field show competition of the season at the Farmington Marching Invitational in Farmington, Mo. The day started early for the band at Poplar Bluff High School with a 7:40 a.m. practice and run-through on the football field before loading the trucks and buses. The group filled the three Penske trucks with their equipment and uniforms, boarded four buses around 10 a.m. and headed to the Farmington High School campus. Upon arrival in Farmington, the band unloaded equipment ate a quick lunch provided by the boosters, then changed into uniforms. Warm ups were set for 2 p.m. followed by field staging, then their performance at 2:45 p.m. After performing, the band changed out of uniforms and once again, loaded equipment onto the trucks. The group was able to watch a few of the other bands compete until the awards ceremony that evening. Competing bands were representative of high schools from as far away as the bootheel of Missouri to northern areas of St. Louis. Poplar Bluff placed 2nd overall in the Class AAA category with Pattonville High School taking first place. The Sho-Me Band's next competition is set for Sept. 28 at the Wright City Wildcat Pride Marching Festival in Wright City, Mo.

Sh0-Me Band members, staff and volunteers load trucks with equipment early last Saturday morning in for the trip to the Farmington Marching Invitational. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Percussionist Timothy Moon waits patiently for his turn to load the gong onto the trucks. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Boys bus #2 is ready to go. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Band directors, Stephen Winters, left, and Trey Moss, right, give instructions to the band after they arrived on the Farmington campus. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)

Kaylee-Ann Merrick grabs a water while in line for lunch at the Farmington competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Sho-Me Band students lunch where they can during their break at last Saturday's competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
McKayla Brown, Lexi Rowland and Landon Bringer get help from fellow band members prepping their looks for the Farmington competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Jaydon Everts, left, and his mom, Debbie, double check his gloves before the competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Anita Cates, right, helps her daughter, Brileigh, into her band uniform prior to the competition in Farmington last Saturday. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Members of the Sho-Me Color Guard put the finishing touches on their costumes before competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Assistant band director, Trey Moss, assists one of the students with their uniform gloves. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Band director, Stephen Winters, third from left, gets his whole family involved in the competition preparations. From left, daughters, Bethany and Hannah and wife, Debbie. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Kirsten Milner grabs a quick drink before heading onto the field for competition Saturday. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
All hands on deck moving equipment out to the competition field. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
The Sho-Me Marching Band in field show formation at last Saturday's competition in Farmington. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Sho-Me Color Guard in action during the Farmington competition. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Drum major parade before the awards ceremony at the Farmington Marching Invitational last Saturday. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Sho-Me Band drum majors accepting their 2nd place trophy at the Farmington Marching Invitational. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)
Dustin Dean, left, and Dalton Goforth share some laughs on the bus ride home after the Farmington Marching Invitational last Saturday. (DAR/Amber Hornbeck)