The Crest High School Winterguard, led by Kirby Scotton, finished first in their classification at a mid-season competition at Mooresville High in the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association (
CWEA) competition circuit.
Scotton, an English teacher at Crest High who moonlights as a colorguard instructor for the Marching Chargers, was ecstatic following the announcement. “It’s a testament to how hard these kids have worked and just how badly they want this program to be successful. Their growth this season has far exceeded all of our expectations.”
In their inaugural season of Winterguard, an indoor sport and performance art where students perform routines using supporting equipment to recorded background music, the Crest performers are already making a strong push toward
championships in April.
“Qualifying for championships is no easy task, especially on a beginning team,” added Scotton. “To qualify you have to participate in a certain number of competitions, including a premiere. That was our first competition as a team in January at Catawba Ridge High School. We took 4th place in our class that weekend.”
Adding additional shows along the way, such as their latest win on February 18, provides the ensemble the opportunity to showcase modifications made to design repertoire and individual execution in hopes of demonstrating a stronger performance to local, regional, and national adjudicators.
During each outing, the ensemble also receives audio files from each adjudicator that are recorded while the team performs to give real-time feedback. The instructional team then attends a post-performance critique to answer adjudicator questions and to provide deeper dives into the feedback as a means for finding every opportunity to improve toward the circuit championships in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
’The kids are incredibly excited to compete again March 18 in Duncan, SC. They’ve seen how much they can grow in just a few weeks and are eager to keep that momentum going. I can’t wait to see just how much more they achieve with their dedication and hard work.”
Click here to view images of the Crest High Winterguard at the Mooresville showcase.