April 18, 2024

Panther band takes sixth during morning at ValleyFest

By IAN RICHARDSON

The Creston Panther Marching Band performs its field show, "Imagination in Color," during Saturday's competition at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines. The band placed sixth in the morning competition and ninth in the afternoon. The band will compete at state competition Saturday in Glenwood. (Contributed photo)

At its final weekend stop before traveling to state contest, the Creston Panther Marching Band took sixth and ninth Saturday in the morning and evening competitions at ValleyFest in West Des Moines.

Director Mike Peters was pleased with the band’s morning performance, as it placed only .6 points behind the fifth-place team. There were 10 class 3A bands scheduled for the morning competition.

“We did really well,” Peters said. “It was a great show for the kids.”

In Showdown, the afternoon competition, the band placed ninth out of 10 in its class. After performing at Friday night’s home football game and earlier Saturday, Peters said for the third time in a day’s span caught up to the band.

“Fatigue of three performances in less than 22 hours just hit us, and we just ran out of gas toward the end of the show,” Peters said. “Some of the bands from the morning were in the evening show, but most of the bands in our class were not.”

Peters said the event is always good preparation for the band because of the caliber of the competition and judging.

“It gives my kids a chance to see some of the best bands in the Midwest all in one show,” Peters said.

The Panther Marching Band will perform 3:05 p.m. Saturday in Glenwood, vying for its 27th consecutive Division I rating at state.

“I am very excited for the kids to get there and really perform,” Peters said. “We have a lot to clean up before this Saturday, but I think we are close to keeping our streak of Division I’s going. It will just take a lot of work this week to polish the show to that level.”