As Class A was called, sharp breaths were drawn and fingers crossed. The announcer introduced the five schools competing for the gold, the ultimate honor…  State Champions.

On the court stood 15 Cougars quivering in their boots (well, marching shoes.)

“And in fifth place: Tom-“

Shoulders slumped, hopes dropped, spirits were crushed, and then,

“-pkins High School Percussion.”

A moment passed before the group realized their mistake. They were still in!

“I just remember thinking to myself ‘Wow, we can still get a medal!’” Said percussion Lieutenant Jackie Whitis. “When we won first… There were tears everywhere.”

For those of you who don’t know, this Saturday marked the end of a new adventure for percussion students from both Tomball Junior High and Tomball High School.  The 15 members of the Tomball Winter Percussion Ensemble competed in the Texas Color Guard Circuit’s State Championships for their first year, under the direction of their new percussion director Rob Sullens.

Parents and students alike gathered at the High School at 5:30 that morning to begin the trip to Reed Arena in College Station where they would be the second performance at 10:09. Thanks to amazing parent help, they were able to unload equipment, warm up, and transition to the staging area smoothly before finally moving out to the floor to compete

“For those who have not been in Reed Arena let me just say this is the closest thing to going to World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.” Said Percussion Director Rob Sullens. “The level of intimidation of the facility alone has made groups crumble no matter how well prepared.”

Although the odds seemed to be against the young ensemble, they still managed to pull together for the gold and the State Champion title. With an average age of 13.8 and a total of 7 8^th graders from the Junior High, they were dwarfed by the towering seniors and overflowing drumlins of the returning competitors.

“We have a very young but talented group of performers” said Sullens. “We had done everything we could as a staff to ready them for this moment. As a [music] teacher, you can only hope that your students are prepared enough to have a performance in their lives that they will always remember and no one can take away. They were that ready, and they did have that performance.”

And on April 5 at 10:09 a.m., as 15 exhausted and ecstatic percussionists took the stage, everybody watching could feel it- this was it. Their best run of the season. Elated by the results of countless hours of rigorous practice, they knew it was great.

“It all happened in 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Setup, play, tear down… and then we waited.”

Wait, they would. It would be over 10 hours before they’d take the field again in the Full Retreat Ceremony. They stood, 1 in 46 ensembles, as tensions rose and excitement faded to nervousness, until being named class A State Champions.

If you would like to see the Winter Percussion Ensemble perform their State Championships ensemble piece it’s final time for the year.  Please come to the Night of Percussion, Jazz, and Dance on May 1st at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium.  It will be one of many great performances done by students in the band program.

“Most importantly [we thank] the students. The people who brought the music program to life, spent endless hours refining their skills beyond what they thought they were capable, and trusting their staff to lead them forward.” Said Sullens. “I am honored to be a part of this program, these families’ lives, these schools, and this district.  We are THE Pride of Texas….and this is just the beginning.  I can’t thank everyone enough for a great first year.”

If you see the following students please personally congratulate them on their State Championship:

Jackie Whitis, 12; Jacob Zillifro, 10; Jonathan Vazquez, 9; Aggie Barnett, 9; Eric Schultz, 9; Zak Kwiatkowski, 9; Mitchell Vereide, 9; Evelyn Hernandez, 9; Dayton Whitis, 8; Tristin Brandt, 8; Andrew Sanchez, 8; Sabrina Gutierrez, 8; Georgia Dowdy, 8; Emmie Schubert, 8; and Dalton Quinn, 8.