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RHHS marching band earns top awards
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Band members march across the field at the Effingham County compeition. - photo by Photo provided.
The Richmond Hill High School Wildcat Marching Band had their first marching competition of the season Oct. 9 an 10 as they took part in the 29th annual Coastal Empire Classic Marching Band Competition at Effingham County High School.
The competition hosted 11 high schools – two bands competing in Class A, three in Class AAA, two in Class AAAA and the Wildcats competing in the largest Class AAAAA.  
Richmond Hill brought home the following awards:  Color Guard – Superior; Percussion – Excellent; Drum Major – Superior (drum majors also awarded the Best Overall Drum Major Award); Music – Superior (also awarded the Best Overall Musical Performance Award); Visual – Superior (also awarded the Best Overall Visual Award); General Effect – Superior; and a Superior rating for their “overall” performance.  The Wildcats also came in second overall out of the 11 competition bands and Class AAAAA standings.
The Wildcats presented their competition show “Ninja – Live by the Sword,” with music and drill written by Countermotion Inc.
This year’s marching band consists of 118 students ranging in grade level from freshman to senior. The band, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Kiene, and the Color Guard, led by Marlon Smith, entertained and impressed the crowd with precision marching drill and a terrific sound. The competition show is presented in three movements; The Training Montage, Mediation and The Final – Samurai Melee.
The achievement of superior rated drill and music at the high school level is no easy task. The band spends countless hours working up to the competition season; two weeks of band camp in the summer; three after-school practices a week; and Friday night football games.
The Coastal Empire Classic clearly showed the band’s hard work paid off.  
The superlative scores in this competition are just the tip of the iceberg for the Wildcats this year as they gear up for the remainder of their competitions, including The Heart of Georgia Marching Invitational on Saturday in Warner Robins and the Battle of the Border in Lowndes County on Oct. 23. 
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