It couldn't have been a closer finish at The 2007 Bandmasters Championship. Saturday, October 20, 2007 - a beautiful, sunny afternoon gave way to a very pleasant evening as over 5,000 people converged upon Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the contest that has become the zenith of Mid-South marching competition. For weeks, Internet message boards, blogs and band rooms had been buzzing about the lineup, considered one of the strongest ever in the area. Everybody was expecting super-charged performances and very close final scores.

Few could have imagined just how close. Munford High School claimed an unprecedented ninth Grand Championship with its trademark high-energy show. But it wasn't easy. Boosted by championship-worthy scores in all captions, defending 2006 winner Houston High School very nearly pulled off the repeat, scoring within .005 of Munford...the closest spread possible short of an all-out tie. First-time Bandmasters participant Siegel High School represented Middle Tennessee exceptionally well, earning a strong third-place with its highly-technical show.

TV cameras, capturing all the action for later broadcast on Public Television, had plenty of quality performances to choose from. Arlington High School, in only its fourth year on the field, continued its rapid climb with a sizzling fourth-place finish. Arkadelphia High School, one of Arkansas top bands, returned after a one-year absence and picked up right where it left off with another Class AAA crown and fifth place overall. Shelby County powerhouse Collierville High School finished strong again this year with a sixth-place finish, and crowd favorite Brighton High School came through with a seventh-place showing. Rounding out the "elite eight" was East Tennessee's Lenoir City High School, seizing the AA championship with a tight, fast-paced performance. And Ripley High School, no stranger to The Bandmasters Championship, added a Class A title to its long list of accomplishments.

This wasn't just a day for winning trophies, however. Over 2,000 students marched on the Liberty Bowl field that day, and each one of them could tell a story of practice, hard work, sweat and sacrifice that made his or her performance possible. For them, The Bandmasters Championship was just one special day in a whole marching season of thrilling experiences they'll take with them through a lifetime.

A Salute to The 2007 Bandmasters Championship award winners:

The 2007 Bandmasters Grand Champion & Class AAAA Champion
MUNFORD HIGH SCHOOL BAND, Munford, TN
Director: Barry Trobaugh; Assistant Director: Gary Fite