Westfield High School Band 1988 - UIL 5A State Marching Contest 

Winston Churchill charger myself ( San Antonio )! We had a great band too but let’s face it . Everyone was a Just marching band , Until Westfield transition UIL from a marching competition to making marching an “ ART”! No cheesy standard pieces , they created art and a type of marching everyone somehow imitated ( wether you knew it or not )! This performance was a game changer !

Ha. you wish you had lost to us by .1 of a point. MBA/BOA used points. We crushed everybody at every competion with our The Planets show that year. I know because our legendary Band director posted the offical judges results sheets in the band hall after every competion. As for UIL. The prelims and finals where decied on a ranking system. 1 the highest, 5th the lowest. There were where 5 judges at the UIL prelims & finals. That night at finals we received 4 - 1s'. You guys got the only other 1. Lost by .1 of a point? Sorry to break it to you. But not even close... Actually there was no bigger rival to us than Klein HS. But after 89. They were never again a rival. They werent even a shadow of what they once where. But you are right. You guys weren't shabby at all! Just to make the finals. Your program was among the elite in Texas. Thats something that can never changed or denied. To anyone of us that where there those 1st Mondays in November. Marching under the lights of U.T. Memorial stadium. We were all part of something greater and making history!!

I think you're thinking of '89. In '89 there was only a 0.1 point separation between Klein and Westfield in both Music *and* Visual at BOA Houston, and the two schools had a 1-2 finish at State Finals...but in '88 Westfield SLAUGHTERED everyone at both State and BOA (All 7 BOA judges gave Westfield a first place score, and the point gap between Westfield and Klein at BOA that year was 7.2 ...which I'm pretty sure is the biggest point gap between first and second place at a late season Texas regional in BOA's 40+ year history! I'm completely convinced they would've won Nationals that year had they gone)

your dad is good friend of mine.

Correction. We where in District 9, 5A. Yes we did call our 88 show "The Planets."

Lou x. This show wasnt the start actually. You have to go back to the Westfield 85 show to see the very beginging. Its when we began to adapt the DCI type show. Our drill designer was none other than the legendary Steve Brubaker of the Caveliers Drum & Bugle Corp. from Rosemont, IL. (I met and talked with him during our trip to Austin in 89) Our music was arrainged by Key Pouland. He had marched with I think the 84 Blue Devils. We also had many wonderful and talented clinicans that came in on thier own time to help out. Even Adolf DeGrauie (sip) the Director of The Caveliers came down to teach, as well as members of The Blue Devils & The Phantom Regiment. All these people were thrilled and excited to see and hear what we as a high school were doing. Something that up until then, only the professional DCI Drum & Bugle corps were doing. But it wasnt just us. There were many other high schools all over the USA that were going this route. We just happened to be the first ones to start performing those type of shows in Texas. After our 89 victory. UIL changed the marching band contest rules. (wonder why?) Which now, in hindsight. In attempt to stop us. They created monster programs. Take a look at what happend in the 90s / 00s / 10s & now. Which schools have won the marching contest. Better yet "own" it. Dont believe me. Heres the link to their list of champions. smbc.uiltexas.org/archives.htm All because of what we started nearly 37 years ago.. All because "we Westfield won too much" and had changed what marching band was in Texas. The sad part is UIL is to proud to change the rules and make it a yearly contest again. Which is what it should be.

Sorry , but I believe you . Maybe not the start but your program in general was a game changer in marching .