The band sat in the stands at Heroes Stadium anxiously waiting for the announcer to call out their score. The speaker announced the school’s name and paused.

During the pause, the tension rose between the band members.

“One.”

In that moment, early mornings, late nights, and hot and humid practices suddenly paid off.

On Oct. 22, the band redeemed itself from receiving the upsetting score of a II at Region UIL State Marching Contest this past year, ending an 18-year streak of constant 1’s. They banded together and received a 1, starting a new streak.

“This year was a redemption in its greatest form,” junior trumpet section leader Cade Olvis said.

As her second year of being drum major and her last year of high school, senior Ann Mark carried faith in the band since the beginning of the 2016 band camp in August.

“We played the first note of the show, and I knew it would be a good performance,” Mark said. “Walking off the field, we knew it was solid, and all season I had known our band was capable of a one.”

The band experienced incredible growth in members every year from each batch of freshmen students. However, with greater numbers comes greater challenges.  The band directors believed the new additions to the band strengthened their ability and performances.

“This year’s band has just been willing to focus a little more,” head band director Matt Boening said. “We’ve put in an upwards of almost 300 hours towards this show, and it started with teaching these new members marching fundamentals. There’s a physical element to what we do that takes time to develop, just as it would in any sport.

“We just need to come off the field knowing we did the best job could,”  Boening said. “And after that, I’m happy.”

(Staff members Aly Welborn, Laney Rendon and Rebecca Covington contributed to this report.)