BOA Toledo Preview
Marching into week 2 of the Bands of America season is the second of the Ohio Regionals. The University of Toledo will again play host this year, with many highly recognized ensembles coming to perform. By now, many groups have competed at least in one contest, so they will be ready to move past those first contest jitters. These bands will jockey for those prestigious placements with several key early-season match-ups.
The Toledo Regional will be featuring 17 bands from 6 different states. While it is one less than last year, we have several returning groups from 2021 and 2019, giving us an excellent and fresh melting pot of competitors. The competitive schedule as of September 20th is as follows:
(All Times ET)
10:30 AM — Dixie Heights (KY)
10:45 AM — Crestwood (OH)
11:00 AM — Rockford (MI)*
11:15 AM — Lake Central (IN)*
Break
12:15 PM — Homestead (IN)
12:30 PM — Reeths-Puffer (MI)*
12:45 PM — Victor (NY)
1:00 PM — DeWitt (MI)
1:15 PM — Beavercreek (OH)
1:30 PM — Kings (OH)*
Break
2:15 PM — Hamilton Southeastern (IN)
2:30 PM — Archbishop Alter (OH)
2:45 PM — Plymouth-Canton (MI)*
3:00 PM — Goshen (IN)*
3:15 PM — Dublin Coffman (OH)*
3:30 PM — Parkersburg South (WV)
3:45 PM — Jenison (MI)*
4:00 PM — University of Toledo (Exhibition)
4:15 PM — Preliminary Awards
* Denotes returning group
The Spartan Alliance band from Homestead (IN) will be returning to this show after claiming the championship in 2019. They look to be the front-runner to secure the top spot once again but will have several bands looking to take it for themselves, including Rockford (MI), which placed 3rd in Finals here last year, won their class in Michigan State Finals, and landed a spot in Semi-Finals in BOA. However, Rockford is still seeking their first BOA Regional Championship and can make a statement here if they do. Homestead bested Rockford at Grand Nationals Semi-Finals last year, but anything can happen in the early season.
Joining the race is Plymouth-Canton Educational Park (MI). Always a delight to watch, they are a long-time BOA participant and former Grand National Champions. Last year they placed 6th in Finals here with a charming restaurant-themed show. When Plymouth-Canton goes in on a theme, they sell it hard, so anticipate no less this year.
Jenison (MI) may have placed 7th in Finals here last year but ended up outscoring both Plymouth-Canton and Rockford come Grand National Semi-Finals. During Michigan's first week of contests last week, Jenison outscored Rockford's exhibition score. They were also able to beat fellow Michigan band contender Reeths-Puffer (MI), albeit in different classes (called Flights in Michigan), which will also be in attendance. We'll have to see if Jenison can continue their hot start or instead have a slow burn that'll peak when they return to Grand Nationals this year.
Goshen (IN) remains in the mix as they placed 4th in Finals last year. This group has become a regular on the BOA scene as they consistently participate in Regional Finals and have made Grand National Semi-Finals, so seeing them do well here wouldn’t be a surprise. Last week, Goshen placed first, sweeping all captions, against a strong group of bands at a local invitational. Likewise, Reeths-Puffer also won their Flight at the Rockford Invitational last week, and while they will be in the same BOA Class (AA) as Jenison, another group in that class to keep your eyes and ears on is DeWitt (MI). DeWitt won the Michigan State Championship in the same Flight as Reeths-Puffer last year and continues to improve each year.
While the Toledo Regional will be the last one in Ohio this season, it is giving us a chance to see several groups looking to perfect a show by November for their respective state circuits and those attending BOA Grand Nationals. We are about to enter the season's midpoint, where bands will add polish and shine. How much will already be added remains to be seen.