Courtesy photo Decatur High School seniors Miranda Brooks, left, and Lauren Gentry celebrate after winning the small band grand championship of the Tennessee Valley Invitational Marching Competition in Muscle Shoals.

Decatur High band wins marching competition

The Decatur High School marching band finished competitive marching season Saturday as it won grand champion of the small band division at the 15th annual Tennessee Valley Invitational Marching Competition.

The Tennessee Valley Invitational is one of the largest and most prestigious marching contests in the region. This year 34 bands from Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi participated in Muscle Shoals.

In the composite scoring for the all-category championship, Decatur High finished second to the band from Grenada High School in Grenada, Miss. Grenada has about 200 band members, while Decatur High has about 55.

Competing out of class against larger bands, Red Raiders won best in Class 3A for band, percussion, color guard and drum major. Decatur's Lucas Deffenbaugh swept the drum major category for the three competitions in which DHS participated this year.

"All those August days that you worked and sweated through band camp, this is what that was all about," Decatur Band Director Robbie Stout told the band after the competition.

Among other local bands competing was Clements High School, which finished second in Class 2A. The Elkmont High School band's drill team won best in class 2A.

Tim Savoy, the drum major from Priceville High School, won best in class 5A, while the Austin High School band finished third in Class 4A, Section 2, the classification for the largest bands, and fourth overall.

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