Raider Rhythm made school history when they were announced champions of the annual Putnam City Marching Classic in Oklahoma City Sept. 24.
A total of 12 bands competed in the competition. Each band performed in a preliminary round in hopes of advancing to the final round. Raider Rhythm advanced to finals along with three Oklahoma schools: Mustang, Edmond North and Sapula High Schools.
“When we were preparing for finals, I was a little nervous because we had a lot of free time,” band director David Wright said. “I thought our focus wasn’t at 100 percent, but during the performance everyone seemed to give it their all.”
When contest directors began announcing the winners, senior Payton Lockman said he became nervous when the band wasn’t called for the lower places. However, it soon became clear they had won.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Lockman said. “It was almost like we had won a war. It was a fantastic feeling because it was my last chance at winning the contest.”