The Hope High School band attended two contests last week, the Region 2 Marching Assessment in Texarkana, Arkansas on Tuesday, October 22nd and then the McDonald’s Marching Invitational in Paragould on Saturday, October 26th.  This past Monday, meanwhile, the Inked Threads Band Performer of the Week was named.

In Texarkana, the band received superior ratings in every category, which won it a berth in the state competition in Little Rock.  “We got straight ones. It couldn't have gone better,” Band Director Chris Davis said. The state contest is to take place November 5th. If it is rained out, it will take place November 12th. 

In Paragould, an otherwise terrific performance was stymied by sound system issues which Band Davis ascribed to human error, but the band still ended up with the following awards in a competition with 29 other bands from the region: 

Superior 1st Division Percussion 

Superior 1st Division Color Guard 

1st Division Band 

Class 4A-1 

2nd place Percussion 

1st place Color Guard 

Outstanding soloist Jair Salgado 

2nd place in class 

The performance overall was good for 11th place.  The overall winner at Paragould was  Arlington (Tennessee), followed by Cabot, DeSoto Central (Mississippi), Marion and Lewisburg (also Mississippi). 

This week’s Inked Threads Band Performer of the Week is Anaya Thornton, a senior color guard member. Davis said that during the sound malfunction in Paragould, she continued with her performance. “We had color guard directors from other schools saying, ‘Dude, if that was my kid, they would have started crying and they would have run off. That kid is amazing.’ That really just shows how professional she can be. So I'm very proud of her,” Davis said. 

Thornton said she enjoys her role in the Juno show, in which she performs as part of a multiple award-winning color guard, the part of the band that performs with flags, rifles and also dances.  “I love my team. We always get along together. But yes, just being a part of the team is fun, and we’re just pushing each other to do the best that we can,” she said. 

Thornton said that after she graduates this year from Hope High, she has plans for college. “I'm going to major in Business Finance, then I’m going to focus on my career in real estate agency.” 

Next, the band performs at halftime at the Bobcats home game against Arkansas High. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m. November 1st.  Then, on November 5th, the Sound of Hope brings its Juno show to state competition at War Memorial Stadium, its last contest of marching season.