BOA Jacksonville Preview
Welcome to the year’s final BOA show in the Southeast! One of BOA’s favorite locations, Jacksonville State University, located about halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta, will play host to this show. Additionally, the bands coming to this show are pretty darn good, and you’ll recognize quite a few of these names if you've been around a while.
All Times CT
8:45 - Oak Grove (AL)
9:00 - Harrison (GA)**
9:15 - Bartlett (TN)
9:30 - Hoover (AL)*
9:45 - Lambert (GA)**
BREAK
10:30 - Mill Creek (GA)**
10:45 - River Ridge (GA)
11:00 - Kennesaw Mountain (GA)
11:15 - Hillgrove (GA)
11:30 - River Bluff (SC)
11:45 - Wesleyan School (GA)
12:00 - Hernando (MS)**
12:15 - Hardin Valley Academy (TN)**
12:30 - Collierville (TN)
12:45 - Walton (GA)
BREAK
1:45 - James F. Byrnes (SC)**
2:00 - Pope (GA)
2:15 - Sparkman (AL)**
2:30 - #17 Dobyns-Bennett (TN)**
2:45 - Paragould (AR)
3:00 - Seymour (TN)*
3:15 - James Clemens (AL)*
3:30 - McEachern (GA)
3:45 - Signal Mountain (TN)
4:00 - Harrison Central (MS)
4:15 - Gulfport (MS)
4:30 - Fred J. Page (TN)
4:45 - EXH. Jacksonville State University (AL) Marching Southerners
* denotes returning bands
** denotes returning finalists
Let’s start things out in the first block. Former Grand National Finalist Harrison (GA) is fresh off of a silver medal at the Carolina Regional just two weekends ago, and Lambert (GA) is also a returning finalist from last year’s Jacksonville Regional. Additionally, Hoover (AL) is widely regarded as one of the strongest band programs in the state. Finally, Bartlett (TN) is also a program on the rise that may be flying under the radar; however, at this year’s Clarksville Regional, they placed third behind two former Grand National Finalists in O’Fallon Township (IL) and Castle (IN).
Leading off the next block, Mill Creek (GA) went up to the Newark Regional earlier this year, placing 8th in finals. They’re certainly looking to improve on that finish; however, with Cobb County powerhouses such as Kennesaw Mountain (GA), Hillgrove (GA), and Walton (GA) all in the same block, there will be no lack of competition here. Hernando (MS), a program that has recently stormed onto the national stage with an appearance in this year’s St. Louis Super Regional Finals, will look to continue this momentum at a competition with a few different faces, but not one that will be any less competitive.
Looking at the final block of prelims, the Cobb County invasion continues with Pope (GA) and McEachern (GA) joining the groups mentioned above. All eyes, however, will be on last year’s Silver Medalists, #17 Dobyns-Bennett (TN), who are looking to go up against James F. Byrnes (SC), their strongest competition so far this season. Many have already penciled in #17 Dobyns-Bennett for a finals spot at Grand Nationals. However, the Tennessee-based band is looking to keep pushing until the end of the season.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Signal Mountain (TN), a band that came on to the national scene last year, placing 4th in class at their first Grand National Championships. Paragould (AR) made last year’s Orlando Regional Finals and this year’s Clarksville Regional Finals, so they are certainly not one to count out. Sparkman (AL) has proven to be right up there recently in contention for the strongest program in Alabama. Finally, Fred J. Page (TN), no stranger to BOA events, was first out of finals at the last BOA show they attended, the 2021 Clarksville Regional, and will be ready to change that and take the leap back into Regional Finals.
As state competitions start to wrap up over the next few weeks in the Deep South, this signals the beginning of the end of another spectacular marching season. For BOA fans, all eyes will turn to the San Antonio Super Regional and Grand Nationals. We’ll see quite a few of the programs that have appeared at the Southeast Regionals at one show or the other, so make sure you catch these excellent programs before it’s too late!
can you do a preview of the bandmasters championship in memphis, tn please? its not a BOA event but it is one of the largest and longest running competitions in tennessee. it has a pretty even split of small and large bands and some of those are BOA finalist bands. 4 of the programs in your jacksonville preview, Bartlett, Hernando, Collierville and Paragould, are usually there as well but chose to do jacksonville instead this year. there are a few non BOA bands that are known throughout tennessee as being top tier for the state. thanks in advance.