Clovis band wins another title

They are the champions ... again.

Clovis High School's marching band, for the 11th consecutive year, won New Mexico's unofficial state championship Saturday at the Zia Marching Band Fiesta in Albuquerque.

The Wildcats captured the outstanding musical achievement, outstanding visual effect and highest general effect awards, sweeping the honors among 19 bands.

"Not only did they win the awards, but more importantly they performed so well," band Director Bill Allred said.

"They connected to the audience so well. Your hometown audience always loves you, but to get the crowd reaction they did from non-Clovis parents was just the icing on the cake. When you can connect and make the audience fall in love with you ... give you a standing ovation ... that's what it's all about."

Allred said there were times during the marching season he wasn't sure the Zia winning streak could continue.

"There were definitely some concerns," Allred said, as the Wildcats finished second in Las Cruces, fifth in Midland, Texas, and third against quality competition in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"We had a lot of facility issues with construction going on, we had some rainouts, we missed a lot of quality practice time," he said.

In addition, this year's show was more challenging than others.

"Last year was more about brawn – how loud can you play, how loud and powerful. This (program) had more artistic demands, more body demands. We call it environmental challenges – a lot more stylistic demands if you will."

But it all came together on Saturday night at University Stadium.

"As I recruit the kids every year in eighth grade, I tell them it doesn't matter where you started. It's where you end up that matters," Allred said. "They ended up not only with a trophy, but with a fantastic performance."

The performance marked the 10th consecutive year Clovis won the grand championship Zia competition (a band from Aurora, Colo., won Zia in 2012). It also marked Clovis' 17th Zia grand championship since the event began in 1978.

Starting today, Allred said work begins toward another title.

"As I tell the kids, we write our own book," he said. "We're closing this chapter, and starting the next, which is concert band season.

"I love marching band, but my favorite is concert band season. If you don't have a good concert band program, your marching band won't be good."