By Andy Ross
Killeen Daily Herald
Dancing to a theme based on the 1985 hit movie “Back to the Future,” the winter guard from Killeen and Shoemaker High schools impressed judges and audience members April 1 during the Texas Color Guard Circuit state championship in Pearland.
The combined winter guard team, composed of 19 students, claimed the silver medal in the independent regional A class competition, said Shoemaker High assistant band director Steve Myers.
“Our students were really committed to the spirit of the music and character of the show,” Myers said. “The entire audience was up clapping and singing at the end of the show, and the kids just really had a great time going for it.”
The championship is not an official University Interscholastic League competition, meaning the event is open to participants in various age categories. The guard team from Killeen was competing in a category with about 25 other teams.
Many people are more familiar with color guards, which perform alongside marching bands, than winter guards, which perform inside a gym and separate from a band. Winter guards focus on their own drills and routines.
Myers said students and directors from KHS and SHS worked hard to come up with a creative routine for the competition. He said members of KHS’ winter guard are more experienced at competing in events, but worked well with Shoemaker students.
“It’s a good thing for us in a lot of ways,” he said. “We have a lot of younger members who were able to learn a lot from the veteran members at Killeen. The students were able to come together and work very hard, and the two directors were able to come together as well with good ideas. Two heads are better than one.”