Photo by Todd Lester
The Oak Mountain High School band performs during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at Lions Pride Stadium in Shelby County, Alabama.
Fifteen high school marching bands from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi are scheduled to participate in the Hoover Invitational Marching Festival this Saturday, Oct. 21, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The first band is scheduled to perform at 2 p.m., and the event should continue until about 9 p.m. Admission price is $12, but children ages five and younger get in free.
Here is the schedule for this year’s competition:
Class A
2 p.m. — Horseshoe Bend High School (New Site)
2:15 p.m. — St. John Paul II Catholic High School (Huntsville)
2:30 p.m. — Briarwood Christian High School (Shelby County)
2:45 p.m. — Pepperell High School (Lindale, Georgia)
Class AA
3:15 p.m. — Leeds High School (Leeds)
3:30 p.m. — Rogers High School (Florence)
3:45 p.m. — New Hope High School (Columbus, Mississippi)
4 p.m. — Ridgeland High School (Ridgeland, Mississippi)
Class AAA
4:30 p.m. — Quitman High School (Quitman, Mississippi)
4:45 p.m. — Huntsville High School (Huntsville)
5 p.m. — Neshoba High School (Philadelphia, Mississippi)
5:15 p.m. — Dinner Break with Hoover High School First Edition Jazz Band performing
Class AAAA
6:20 p.m. — Auburn High School (Auburn)
6:40 p.m. — Biloxi High School (Biloxi, Mississipppi)
7 p.m. — Clinton High School (Clinton, Mississippi)
7:20 p.m. — Oak Mountain High School (Shelby County)
7:40 p.m. — Exhibition Performance by Hoover High School
8:10 p.m. — Awards
Each band will compete against the other bands in its class, with trophies being awarded for first, second and third place. Also, a “best in class” trophy will be given to the best percussion section, drum major, color guard, majorette squad and dance line in each class. Trophies also will be awarded to all bands, color guards, majorette squads, percussion sections and dance teams that receive a superior rating, and drum majors and feature twirlers who receive a superior rating will get a medal.
Judges this year are:
Band
Ken Bodiford, Jacksonville State University
Greg Snyder, Nashville City Schools
Jon Bubbett, Thompson High School (retired)
Hal Murphy, Etowah County Schools (retired)
Bill Braden, former director at Spring High School (Texas) and consultant for Hernando High School (Mississippi)
Percussion
AJ Adair, Hewitt Trussville High School
Color Guard
Adrian Fitchpatrick, Hoover High School
Dance/Majorette
Charity Jones, Vestavia Hills High School
Drum Major
Samantha Goolsby, former drum major at Wake Forest University
