Lakewood Ranch High School's Marching Mustangs won the Class 4A Championship at the Naples Outdoor Marching Band Competition on Saturday, Oct. 3, sweeping all five class awards for the second straight competition.

The 117-member band placed second overall across all classes with a score of 71.15, trailing only Palmetto Ridge, a Class 6A program with 220 members that scored 74.725. The Mustangs took Best in Class honors in music, visual, general effect, percussion and color guard.

The percussion section finished first overall.

"We competed as a Class 4A program with 117 members, compared to Palmetto Ridge's Class 6A program with 220 members," band director Dr. John Wilkerson said, according to the Mustangs Ahead student news outlet.

The Naples result mirrors the band's Sept. 26 performance at the 49th Annual FFCC Seminole Sound Spectacular, where the Mustangs also claimed the Class 4A title and swept all five class awards. After that win, Wilkerson credited students, staff and parent volunteers for pushing through rain, lightning warnings and heat to prepare the show, themed "Eternal." All 117 members perform the show.

Orchestra students earn All-County honors

Eight LRHS students were selected for the Manatee All-County Honor's Orchestra, performing at the Sarasota Performing Arts Center. The ensemble played five pieces under the direction of Dr. Robyn Bell, music director of the Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota.

The students selected were Preston Stanoch, Elena Gates, Mariella Martinez Reyes and Stella Percoco on violin; Elizabeth Argo and Hailey Birkin on viola; and Kai Carlson and Amira Sulemani on cello.

What's next

The Mustangs host the 22nd Annual Music In Motion competition at LRHS on Saturday, Oct. 10. The schedule continues with the School District of Manatee County (SDMC) Marching Band Exhibition at Manatee High School on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and the FBA District 11 Marching Band Performance Assessment on Oct. 24.

After a Nov. 7 competition at Braden River High School, the band heads to the FFCC State Marching Championships on Nov. 14 at the Village High School in Ocala. The Mustangs are also set to serve as the honor band at the Anna Maria Island Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11.