WBA 4A-5A Championship Preview
Hello all! After a competition season spanning the past seven weeks, it's time to crown our WBA Champions! If you’re wondering why I said champions, here’s how we do it out west. The event is split into 2 locations, Chaffey High School in Ontario, CA for 1A-3A and Riverside City College for 4A-5A. Both events have Saturday Prelims and Sunday Finals, with the highest scoring 20 bands from each event getting through into finals (out of 23 competing in 4A/5A champs and 32 in 1A-3A). This is the preview for 4A/5A, so if you want to check out 1A-3A, check here (hyperlink to 1A-3A). The highest-scoring band in each competition will both be crowned WBA champions. Of course, the 4A/5A champion is usually regarded as the official WBA champion by the wider world when looking at scores, but they’re both champions in my heart. So without further ado, let's get into the lineup!
2:35 PM - Fremont (CA)
2:50 PM - La Cañada (CA)
3:05 PM - Damonte Ranch (NV)
3:20 PM - Redwood (CA)
3:35 PM - Granite Bay(CA)
3:50 PM - South Pasadena (CA)
BREAK
4:15 PM - Mira Costa (CA)
4:30 PM - Gahr High School (CA)
4:45 PM - Upland (CA)
5:00 PM - Lemoore (CA)
5:15 PM - Kingsburg (CA)
BREAK
6:35 PM - Clovis (CA)
6:50 PM - Rancho Verde (CA)
7:05 PM - James Logan (CA)
7:20 PM - Mission Hills (CA)
7:35 PM - Vista Murrieta (CA)
7:50 PM - Cupertino (CA)
BREAK
8:15 PM - Clovis East (CA)
8:30 PM - Ayala (CA)
8:45 PM - Homestead (CA)
9:00 PM - Milpitas (CA)
9:15 PM - Amador Valley (CA)
9:30 PM - Chino Hills (CA)
9:45 PM - Riverside City College (Exh.)
If you haven’t followed WBA this season, things have been WILD, with the only constant being Chino Hills (CA) on top, but not by much. Point gaps between shows have been less consistent than ever, with sudden 3-point swings coming out of nowhere. For example, San Marcos (CA) from San Diego came out of nowhere to take down Vista Murrieta (CA) at the SoCal Super Show despite being 3 points behind the prior week. This was the first time Vista Murrieta has placed behind a group that isn’t named Chino Hills or Ayala (CA) since 2015. Another thing to watch is the point gap between Ayala and Chino Hills, which moved from 1 point to 4, and back to 1 as of the Tournament in the Hills. This year will also be the first time that James Logan (CA) meets Ayala, Chino Hills, and Vista Murrieta at the same time since 2015 due to Ayala and Vista Murrieta skipping WBA champs in place of out-of-state trips in 2016 and 2019, fires in 2018, the pandemic shutting 2020 down completely, and 2021 being regional Championships only. This is all to say; we have NO clue what will happen. The entire top 4 has a shot at the title, with Chino Hills as the favorite (which, fun fact, would make them repeat champions as they won in 2019, the last time full champs were held).
While there was a season in 2021, due to California’s strict COVID rules, the standard championship model was replaced by three regional championships. These were held at James Logan (NorCal), Kingsburg (CenCal), and Trabuco Hills (SoCal). These regionals still existed in 2022 and will be referenced going forward.
The first block of 4A action features our only out-of-state band in the entire event, Damonte Ranch (NV), making their second trip into the golden state after placing 2nd to Granite Bay (CA) at the Norcal Super Show earlier this season. Alongside them will be the 2nd place group at Kingsburg, Redwood (CA). In the second block, we have Gahr (CA), one of the favorites to take 4A. Although not active in WBA, they are one of the more respected programs in California, earning championships in other circuits. Their singular foray into WBA earlier this season resulted in a 2nd place finish to another 4A favorite, Upland (CA). Upland is coming off a 4A regional championship win at Trabuco Hills and boasts the highest score of any 4A band this season. The block closes with Kingsburg (CA), Class Champions at the Kingsburg Regional the week prior.
Kicking off the first block of 5A, we have Clovis (CA), the Kingsburg 5A Class Champion, and James Logan and Vista Murrieta, two expected competitors for the top spot on Sunday. James Logan has won every competition they have entered so far this season by a healthy margin, while Vista Murrieta has struggled. However, they have stayed within a point of Chino Hills every time they have met, giving them a good shot at the title. Closing out the block, we have a strong NCBA (Northern California Band Association) competitor in Cupertino (CA), coming off a recent win at an NCBA competition in Napa Valley. Block two starts with a pair of second-place regional finishers in Ayala and Homestead (CA), both looking to medal this weekend, with Ayala being a three-time WBA champion looking to reclaim dominance over the state of California. Finally, we finish with Amador Valley (CA), third place finisher at the James Logan Regional, and Chino Hills, the favorite going into the weekend.
If you haven’t been paying attention to California, this weekend is a fantastic time to start. This is shaping up to be one of the most competitive championships in WBA history. Will Chino Hills continue their newfound reign? Will Ayala rise back to the top after taking a backseat in the new decade? Will Vista Murrieta finally capture their first WBA championship? Or will James Logan bring home a 14th WBA championship and extend their rich history of excellence. No matter what happens, those bands will be leaving everything on the field. You can catch the action live on FloMarching or follow along with scores as they are announced on the WBA website!
Dre Barlow is making their writing debut with GEM. As a California native with a strong passion for the marching arts, they are highly knowledgeable about California band. Their marching experience includes four years at Vista Murrieta High school as well as Gold Drum and Bugle Corps in 2022.