Wando High School defended its home state of South Carolina up against a highly-touted visitor from Tennessee, winning the Bands of America South Carolina Regional Championship by a slim margin at the top.

Wando earned a score of 86.550 to take first place out of 23 bands — 20 of which hailed from the Carolinas — edging 2017 Grand National Finalist Dobyns-Bennett by less than half a point.

Despite trailing Dobyns-Bennett by seven-tenths of a point in general effect, a strong lead in music performance gave Wando the slim advantage. That said, Dobyns-Bennett earned top overall scores in general effect and won its AAA classification.

Wando and Dobyns-Bennett will meet again at the 2018 BOA Grand Nationals in November. 

A considerable distance behind the top two, James F. Byrnes earned third place with a score of 82.900, fending off fellow South Carolina band Fort Mill (4th, 82.150) thanks to a strong lead in the general effect caption. Nation Ford (SC) rounded out the top five with a score of 81.350. 

Saturday’s AA class champion, Bassett (VA) took sixth place with a score of 78.800, with River Bluff (7th, 77.400) and Panther Creek (8th, 76.650) not far behind. Panther Creek jumped two positions from its Prelims finish.

Dobyns-Bennett performing at 2018 BOA South Carolina Regional

Rounding out the event’s finalists, White Knoll (9th, 74.900) fell from its seventh-place position in Prelims, while Green Hope (10th, 74.200) fell from ninth. 

Finishing just behind the finals cut-off, York Comprehensive (11th, 72.950) held a tight lead over Cary Senior (12th, 72.250). Despite trailing in both music and visual performance captions, York Comprehensive’s lead of nearly two points in general effect made the difference.

Winning the A classification, Ninety Six (SC) earned 13th with a score of 69.900, holding off Clover (14th, 68.950) by just over a point. Clover owned a narrow lead over Dorman (15th, 68.425), again due to a sizeable lead in general effect. 

In 16th place with a score of 66.550, Rock Hill defeated North Carolina bands Ardrey Kell (17th, 65.900) and Northwest Guilford (18th, 65.250). 

Less than a point separated 19th and 21st places, as Battlefield (19th, 64.800) narrowly defeated Mooresvile (20th, 64.650), with Lugoff-Elgin (21st, 64.050)

Not far behind Jack Britt (22nd, 62.075), Forestview rounded out the group in 23rd place with a score of 60.150.