With "Debbie Week" right around the corner, let's dive back into the last Regional weekend of the 2023 WGI Guard season and focus on some storylines to keep in the back of your mind as we head into the 2023 WGI Guard World Championships on April 13-15. We'll also reveal who we think will be in this year's class of Movers & Shakers. 

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Five Big Storylines To Keep In Mind

1. The. Battle for SW Supremacy

There always seems to be a tight race for gold in the Scholastic World class, and this year will likely be no different. Avon High School is defending its 2022 first-place World Championship finish (on top of the historic Avon HS 'Triple Crown' win), however when Avon clashed with fellow Indiana-based ensembles at WGI Indy on March 25-26, Carmel HS came out on top by a margin of almost 2-points (with Carmel HS earning a 92.500, and Avon HS scoring a 90.800). 

It's always difficult to predict how the regions will mesh once they have all gathered at UD Arena, but West Coast giants Arcadia High School and Chino Hills High School always deliver entertaining shows that tend to earn them a Saturday Finals performance in Dayton. Arcadia HS finished the Manhattan Beach Regional on March 25-26 in first in SW with a score of 88.100, followed by Chino Hills HS with a score of 84.000.

Another ensemble vying for a top-of-the-table finish, and one you should definitely keep an eye on, is Tarpon Springs High School. The group has been making waves this season with its 2023 show titled, 'The Origin of Cool' and most recently earned a score of 92.500 during their Finals run at WGI Atlanta on March 25-26. 

It's sure to be an exciting three days in Dayton once all of these Scholastic World powerhouses converge under the lights at UD Arena, and we can't wait to see who comes out on top. 

2. A New IO Champion Emerges

University of South Florida claimed victory in the Independent Open class at the 2022 WGI Guard World Championships, resulting in them moving up into the Independent World class. With their departure, that leaves the door wide open for a new IO champion to be crowned. According to the scores from the March 25-26th regional, two ensembles stand out among the crowd: Vox Artium and Etude Open.

Vox Artium (who finished in 8th at the 2022 WGI Guard World Championships) scored an impressive 89.200 at the Manhattan Beach regional, earning the ensemble top ranking amongst fellow West-Coast ensembles i-Squared (83.900), Emerald (83.800), and Elan Winterguard (82.000). Etude Open earned a similar score at WGI Atlanta - 89.100 - overpowering Edge Independent (86.400) and Alta Marea Winterguard (84.900). 

As with the Scholastic World class, it's always difficult to predict how the regional scores will compare once the ensembles are being scored by the same panel. However, that just gives you even more reason to tune into the Independent Open Prelims performance on Thursday morning and evening to see how the scores shake out!

3. Palm Desert Charter Middle School Is Busy Making History Already

If you haven't heard of Palm Desert Charter Middle School's historic season before this point in time, allow us to fill you in. 

The SoCal ensemble made a name for itself earlier this season after the ensemble got promoted to the Scholastic Open class. Yes, you read that correctly: a middle school got promoted to Scholastic Open. The best part? They're absolutely thriving in the new class. As with many of the other top West Coast competitors, PDCMS made its way to the Manhattan Beach regional on March 25-26 and finished second with a score of 85.400, just 2 points behind Mt. Carmel HS (87.400).

While a first-place finish for the ensemble may be a big feat to accomplish this season, fans will absolutely not want to miss their Prelims performance at 6:05pm on Thursday at the Nutter Center. But fair warning: prepare to have to pick your jaw up off the ground. 

4. Scholastic A: Who Ya Got?

The class that may be the hardest to pin down? Scholastic A. The talent level this year is through the roof, with many ensembles already knocking on the door of the 90-point threshold (or surpassing it). 

Ridgeview HS was the class-winner in SA at the Manhattan Beach Regional, earning an 86.070 for its Finals run. Dobyns-Bennett HS just barely edged out Franklin HS at WGI Atlanta, with the two ensembles earning an 89.650 and an 89.330, respectively. Over at WGI Indy, Noblesville HS was the big winner in-class with a score of 90.840, triumphing over Mt. Vernon HS (89.650), Carroll HS - IN (87.600), and Westfield HS - IN (87.040).

If we look back at the 2022 season, the ensembles who finished first through fifth have all made the jump up to Scholastic Open this year. This leaves Friendswood HS and Dobyns-Bennett HS as the top finishers from 2022 who are still in the Scholastic A class this season. Will this be one of their years? Only time will tell!

5. Of Course, We Gotta Talk About Independent World

As it currently stands based on the most recent scores, Paramount is sitting pretty in first place after their high-flying Finals performance at WGI Atlanta, where the ensemble earned an impressive 94.500. Blessed Sacrament is the next highest scorer with a score of 93.000 that they earned at WGI Bethlehem on March 18-19. Pride of Cincinnati comes in at third place with a score of 92.300, which it earned at WGI Indy on March 25-26.

Now, what does all that mean? Well, we're not sure. It should be reiterated that because none of these top ensembles have competed against each other, there's no way to tell how these previously recorded scores will play out once the same judging panel sits down to assess the ensembles.

However, we do know that Pride of Cincinnati is defending its 2022 WGI World Championship title, so they're going to be coming out swinging with the goal of earning a ninth total gold medal for the program. That being said, Paramount is riding high off of a stellar season that has captivated the crowd, Blessed Sacrament should never be outcounted, and it's always possible for a dark horse to rise up as an unexpected victor.

And what a great segue that was! Now, let's move into our picks for...

Movers & Shakers of 2023

What's a Mover & Shaker you may ask? Well, it's an ensemble that we've pinned as one to keep an eye on; they're the ensemble that has the potential to come out of nowhere and pull off a massive upset, ruffle some feathers, and be the talk of the town. Here are our picks: 

Fusion (IW)

If you haven't heard of Fusion before, it's time to change that because this season has proved they're a force to be reckoned with. The ensemble has only been part of the Independent World class for a handful of years (after getting promoted mid-season in 2018 from Independent Open) but has quickly climbed the rankings ladder, securing a 10th-place finish in last year's WGI Guard World Championships. This year, however, Fusion has come out swinging, most recently going up against the likes of Blessed Sacrament, AMP, and George Mason at WGI Bethlehem (March 18-19) and landing solidly in second place with a score of 89.200 behind Blessed Sac. Their 2023 program titled, 'The Beat' is a must-see with its captivating choreography and joyful performers.

Kiski Area HS (SW)

After securing a gold medal in the Scholastic Open class at last year's WGI Guard World Championships, Kiski Area HS made its way to the Scholastic World class for 2023. The ensemble most recently went up against the Scholastic World top dogs, including Carmel HS and Avon HS, at WGI Indianapolis on March 25-26 and found themselves in fifth place with a score of 85.200. While it may take them a few years to get into the top-three spots in Scholastic World, they're our pick for really pushing the excellence in the middle of the pack and making it to Finals on Saturday, where they're sure to make a splash. Their 2023 program is titled, "Beware the Poisoned Poppy" and you can catch their Prelims performance on Thursday at 1:30pm at UD arena. 

Palm Desert Charter Middle School (SO)

I know PDCMS was already mentioned, but this is arguably one of the most exciting stories to come out of the 2023 WGI season. We'll skip waxing poetic about this ensemble for the second time in this article, but just know that you'll want to keep your eyes on this tenacious group of students as they make their way through the weekend at WGI Guard World Championships. Their 2023 program is titled, 'Along the Divide' and you can catch their Prelims performance on Thursday at 6:05pm at the Nutter Center.